


IDK You Yet

by Vegeta_vs_Emotions



Series: Lighting in a Bottle [1]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Alpha Hatake Kakashi, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, BAMF Umino Iruka, Canon-Typical Violence, Fluff and Angst, Hatake Kakashi is Bad at Feelings, It Gets Worse Before It Gets Better, M/M, Multi, Omega Umino Iruka, Other, Post-Third Shinobi War, REALLY slow, Slow Burn, but he's doing his best, no beta we die like men, reference to past trauma
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-26
Updated: 2020-08-22
Packaged: 2021-03-03 18:42:25
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 42,067
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24930247
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vegeta_vs_Emotions/pseuds/Vegeta_vs_Emotions
Summary: Kakashi is an alpha, and one night he stumbled upon the omega he knows is meant for him. Unfortunately, Kakashi has never been great with approaching romantic partners...(he has never needed to.) So how will he handle Iruka? And what is the sensei hiding?
Relationships: Hatake Kakashi/Umino Iruka, Hatake Kakashi/Yamato | Tenzou, Past Hatake Kakashi/Yamato|Tenzo
Series: Lighting in a Bottle [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1890148
Comments: 218
Kudos: 631





	1. Recon

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first time writing a/b/o and I'm nervous, but sometimes there's just a fic you are looking for, and you realize you are going to have to write it yourself! I appreciate comments and suggestions more than anything. Please let me know what you think!
> 
> ALSO: While this part is finished, it is part of the ongoing series, "Lightning in a Bottle." This part does not have any warnings, but the other might, so please be aware. I will include warnings in the Authors notes.

Kakashi didn’t understand. He was an Alpha. Iruka was an omega. And yet, Iruka wasn’t responding to him at all. 

________________________

  
  


It was a rare night that his friends had convinced Kakashi to come out for drinks at one of the most popular shinobi bars in the village. It wasn’t that he didn’t like to see his friends, but he typically avoided the night scene. During the day, most shinobi muted their status and pheromones to be polite and help the day go by smoother. But on nights like these, most shinobi dropped their guards and even pushed their scents further in the hopes of getting someone to warm their bed for the night. Kakashi’s nose was already more keen than most - nights like these just left him frustrated and a little nauseous. 

He arrived promptly thirty minutes late and was pleased that Asuma had chosen a booth near the back door. The minimal breeze kept the strongest scents at bay and it provided an easy escape route. He was also pleased to see a beer waiting for him next to Gai. 

“My rival! Late as usual! I took the liberty of ordering an ale for you. You can repay me with a 5AM spar, tomorrow morning.” Gai shouted across the bar. Kakashi weaved his way through the crowd, not brushing up against a single soul. He sat down and smiled, though not accepting Gai’s proposal outright. He hoped that Gai would get trashed enough to forget about the spar, but also knew that it was unlikely. Gai had been awake before the sun for the last decade.

As the night wore on, Kakashi became even more grateful to his mask than usual. It blocked out the strongest scents, especially of the particularly aggressive alphas at the bar, practically throwing themselves at anyone that looked their way. A few omegas caught his eye, but anyone outside his circle tended to steer clear of the copy-ninja, which Kakashi liked just fine. 

A bit of a crash came from the bar, and Kakashi raised his eyebrow, glancing towards the bar. Anko was laughing at a chunin that had apparently had a few too many and had spilled their beer. 

He could only see the back of the chunin’s head, but he had a dark chestnut ponytail that looked like it had seen better days. He was clumsily hanging on some silver haired beta. They had been on their way out of the bar when Iruka had tripped over his own feet and practically fell into Kakashi’s lap. 

Before Kakashi could push Iruka away, the most amazing aroma hit the jonin like a freight train. Iruka’s hair had just barely brushed against Kakashi’s mask before he was hauled back up by his friend and slurred an apology. Kakashi was frozen in place, committing the smell to memory. Lemongrass and Oolong Tea and  _ omega _ . The only thing that kept Kakashi from following the alluring shinobi out of the bar was Gai’s boisterous voice.

“Kakashi! Do you know Iruka-sensei?” Gai practically shouted despite being only a few feet from Kakashi’s face. The masked jonin jerked his head back to the table, trying to shake the feeling of his blood rushing away from his head to other parts of his body.

“Iruka...sensei?” he responded as cooly as he could, attempting to reign in the tightness in his voice. When he failed, Asuma barked out a laugh and Gai clapped him on the back.

“Did an omega finally catch your eye? Is it time for you to experience all the passions that youthful love has to offer?!” Gai was about to stand up when Kurenai gently placed her hand on the exuberant beta’s shoulder, keeping him from making a scene. 

“Who is he?” Kakashi didn’t bother to sound cool and aloof anymore. His inner alpha was shouting at him to follow his omega out of the bar. Instead, he tried to stay calm by collecting as much information about the tantalizing shinobi as he could.

“Iruka-sensei works at the academy. I met him last month when he personally requested me to be assigned to a new genin that will be graduating next year…” Kakashi tuned his friend out when it was apparent he was only going to go on about his new potential student. Gai, however, didn’t seem to need to be acknowledged to tell a story, and he kept on. Asuma threw back another shot and nodded along enough to convince Gai he was interested. 

Kakashi's eyes fell on Kurenai, the only omega, other than Tenzo, that he spent any significant time with outside of missions. Of course he had contact with omegas, but they all seemed to cower or swoon, neither of which were particularly appealing to Kakashi. He was friends with Kurenai because she didn’t take his shit. It also helped that she was mated to Asuma, so her scent didn’t affect him like it might if she was unmated. 

Kurenai answered his unasked questions. “Yes, Iruka Umino works at the academy. He’s a chunin. Unmated omega, age 23. He works at the mission desk as well.” as she spoke, Kakashi’s mind was turning. He worked at the academy and at the mission desk, so it was no wonder Kakashi had never come across him. All of his missions were S-ranked and his debriefs were done in person with the Hokage. Not to mention that he hated kids, so he always steered clear of the academy. Now however, that might need to change. Kurenai didn’t have too much other useful information, and Kakashi immediately began his plan of attack. He was going to learn everything there was about Iruka Umino.

_____________________________________________________

Kakashi spent his free time reading Icha Icha in a tree. The only thing different now was that the tree happened to be on academy grounds. Specifically, outside of Iruka’s classroom. He would listen to his lectures, which he had to admit were interesting. He had barely spent 6 months in the academy himself, and he hadn’t paid much attention while he was there. It was amusing to listen to Iruka though, his passionate speeches about the Will of Fire and his even more impassioned reaming out of students who acted out. 

Kakashi also noticed the young beta that Iruka had been with at the bar. Kakashi gathered his name was Mizuki and although he clearly was interested in the omega, Iruka kept him at an acceptable arm’s length. The beta would stop by Iruka’s classroom almost everyday after classes, and sometimes they would walk to the Mission Office together, but other times Mizuki would suggest they grab some dinner and Iruka would politely refuse. Kakashi could never follow him to the Mission Office - too many Anbu guards who would definitely notice Kakashi lurking around. 

He would follow Iruka around the village, sprinting across the rooftops while Iruka took the streets. It wasn’t stalking, he justified to himself. It was reconnaissance. He wasn’t being particularly stealthy, but most shinobi weren’t as paranoid as Kakashi and let their guard down when in the village. Then again, most of them didn’t have targets on their backs from at least a dozen different crime organizations and a few neighboring nations. 

Kakshi found that Iruka frequented the Ichiraku Ramen Shop and was often accompanied by the young jinchuriki, Naruto Uzumaki. That made Kakashi smile. The omega was kind, and had opened his heart to Minoto’s son. He would be a good mate to raise children. Of course, logically Kakashi knew he was getting ahead of himself, but his inner alpha couldn’t stop picturing Iruka surrounded by little, silver haired pups. 

After a week of recon, Kakashi decided it was time for the first point of contact. The most legitimate, least stalkery way, was to hand in a mission report to Iruka. The only issue was that none of his missions were handled by that office. He would need to take an A or B ranked mission, and for that, he would have to ask the Hokage.

He waited until Hiruzen opened the windows in his office and took that as an open invitation. He didn’t conceal his chakra so the Anbu hidden on the roof would sense him coming and know he wasn’t a threat. 

“Kakashi, will you ever acquire the manners to use the door?” the Third sighed as he took a long puff of his pipe, the smoke lazily drifting towards the ceiling. 

“Mah, maybe someday.” Kakashi shrugged, as he pretended to look at the nicknacks on the desk.

“Kakashi, you are not one to fidget. What is it that you want? I have a meeting.” Sandaime said, but it lacked any bite. He was fond of Kakashi but confused at his behavior. He also seemed so nonchalant naturally that this attempt was downright odd.

“I was thinking I am in need of a vacation. Perhaps an easy B or A ranked mission.” Kakashi attempted to stay relaxed, not giving away his ulterior motive. He also knew that it was likely that the alpha across from him could see right through him. 

“Interesting…” was all he said before taking another long puff from his pipe. “I suppose you’ve earned it. I have an A ranked escort mission. I was going to assign it to two tokubetsu Jonin, but I can just send you. You are only getting paid for one though.” he said, and it was clearly meant to be a dismissal.

“Yes, Hokage-sama. Thank you.” Kakashi bowed slightly and took the scroll that was extended to him. He looked at the window, but then realized that if he went out through the building, he might catch a glimpse of Iruka working. He closed the door behind him.

____________________________________________-

Instead of finding Iruka, Kakashi came across three chunin, recognizing one voice in particular. He stopped short before rounding the corner, listening to the conversation. The voice belonged to Mizuki, the beta that was always with Iruka, and the omega seemed to be the topic of conversation. Kakashi leaned against the wall and took out a small orange book out of his vest, hoping that anyone who saw him would just assume he was reading and not eavesdropping. 

“It’s ridiculous. He won’t give me the time of day, probably because I’m not an  _ alpha _ .” Mizuki practically spit out the last word. 

“Come on, man,” one of the other chunin laughed. Kakashi recognized it as Kotesu, who he often saw on gate duty. That must mean that the other chunin was Izumo. They were a mated beta pair and Kakashi couldn’t remember ever seeing them by themselves. 

“Honestly, not being an alpha is probably the only thing you’ve got going for you.” Kotesu laughed again and Kakashi frowned. Did Iruka have something against alphas? That wouldn’t do.

“He can be a chilly bastard,” Izumo scoffed. “We worked with him for a whole year before we got him to go out for drinks with us.”

“And you looked pretty close when you two left the bar last week,” Kakashi didn’t like the idea of Iruka bringing anyone home, but he could practically hear the sneer in Mizuki’s voice.

“Yeah right. You’d think I’d at least get a thank you kiss for dragging his drunk ass home, but he just patted me on the shoulder and closed the door on my face.” Kakashi felt a grin tugging on his mouth. He replayed the image of Iruka slamming the door on Mizuki’s face. 

He heard the chunin move away, and he pushed himself off the wall to continue on his hunt. As he passed the jonin lounge, he groaned as he heard his name being called. There was a reason he used the windows. He had friends, but he preferred solitude most of the time. He gave a two figure salute, but he simply buried his nose in his book and hurried out of the building.

  
  
  



	2. Frost

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kakashi took a simple A ranked mission so he can turn it into Iruka at the mission desk. Unfortunately it takes him to the Land of Snow.

Kakashi’s supposed vacation of an A ranked mission became much more involved than he had hoped. When he first opened the scroll, his heart dropped when he saw his destination.  _ The Village Hidden in the Snow.  _ The only one who was more upset about the destination was Pakkun.

The Land of Fire had recently renewed their treaty with the Land of Snow, and the final signed drafts needed to be transported to and from the nations. The Hokage and  Sōsetsu Kazahana had not made any changes to the treaty, so they didn’t need to meet in person. The document simply needed to be re-signed and delivered. Although he didn’t expect to encounter too many enemies, Kakashi still wasn’t looking forward to the cold. 

Kakashi chose to go through the land of jungles to get to the sea. There had been some unrest in the Land of Rice Patties, and Kakashi wanted to avoid any unnecessary conflict. He wanted to get back to Konoha as quickly as possible so he could turn in his mission scroll to Iruka. Besides, he could move more quickly through densely forested areas. At the moment he was leaping from branch to branch alongside Pakkun. 

“Document delivery seems a bit below you, Boss. Are you going to tell me what’s up?” the pug said to the shinobi as he pushed ahead, his speed challenging Kakashi to his limits. 

“Mah, can’t a man take a break from assassination and diplomatic balancing acts once in a while?” Kakashi deflected, not wanting a lecture.

“So you took an A ranked mission to the Land of  _ Snow _ for a break? Is there someone in the leaf village you are trying to avoid?” The pug pressed and Kakashi sighed. If Iruka was going to become his mate, his pack was going to learn about him eventually.He decided to bite the bullet 

“I’m actually pursuing someone…” Kakashi saw Pakkun’s lidded eyes wided a bit before returning to the front. “I think I’ve found my omega.” he said and he  _ almost _ thought he saw Pakkun’s foot slip before returning to his regular gait. The ninken was quiet for a few miles, seeming to process the new information.

“An omega, huh? After all this time, some of the pack assumed your instincts were broken, Boss. Good to hear that isn’t the case.” Kakashi could feel heat rush to his face, both in embarrassment and anger.

“My mated status should not be a topic of conversation amongst the pack. And my instincts are just fine, thank you! There just hasn’t been an omega like this one before…” Kakashi's thoughts drifted to Iruka. That perfect blend of lemongrass and oolong tea. His thick, dark hair that Kakashi was dying to run his fingers through. The deep tan of his skin, even darker where that lovely scar crossed his face. 

The pair lapsed into silence, Pakkun imaging the type of omega that could have put such a spell on the infamous copy-ninja and Kakashi thinking about the less-than-kosher things he wanted to do to Iruka.

___________________

After two days, they had reached the shore line and Kakashi met the captain that had been scheduled to take him across the sea. He saluted Pakkun who was not one to get on a boat, and the ninken disappeared in a puff of smoke. Kakashi slumped against the helm, feigning relaxation, but his senses were as sharp as ever. His water style was good, but not his best, and water travel had always made him feel vulnerable. He stayed alert, determined to not be taken off guard during an A ranked mission.

Luckily, the trip went without a hitch, and the next morning they reached the shore. There were two frost jonin there to escort him to the village. They were both betas and had clearly been sent as to not pose a threat to whoever the Leaf Village sent. They offered to rest before moving on, but Kakashi shrugged. He could never rest easy with unfamiliar shinobi, and he knew he could make it to the village before he would need to sleep. He bit his thumb and summoned Akino who was the least likely to mind the weather. He felt more comfortable with his ninken watching his back.

As the small group worked their way through the snow, Kakashi circulated his fire chakra to keep his body warm. He had taken the wool cloak they had offered, and it did a decent job at cutting down on the wind that was attempting to rip through him. He was also grateful to the mask for offering an extra layer of protection. He preferred to move through trees, but they kept to a main road that seemed to offer the most sturdy footing.

Just as the sun had begun to set, the two betas slowed down and Kakashi could sense many chakra signatures up ahead. They had reached the Village Hidden in the Snow. Kakashi kept his face neutral, but had to admit to himself that he was impressed by the wall of ice that greeted them. The terrain offered its own protection, but it was clear why this village was never a significant target during the ninja wars. If you managed to suffer through the tundra, you were greeted by a wall of ice 30 feet tall and at least 6 feet deep.

The shinobi guarding the wall saw Kakashi’s escorts and saluted, using a water jutsu to melt a narrow gate for them to pass through. Kakashi was impressed by the jutsu and felt a small urge to take out his sharingan to copy the technique, but that would mean they would realize who he was. Instead, he simply dismissed Akino before following his escorts straight through to the main tower, which he was relieved to see was  _ not  _ also made of ice. The village was smaller and a bit more sparse than Konoha, but the set up was familiar, if not a bit slipperier. Many locals watched the masked ninja as the group moved through the streets, unused to visitors. 

The Village Hidden in the Snow did not have their own Kage, but their leader Sōsetsu Kazahana was still a powerful shinobi and was respected by the five kage. Kakashi was ushered into the room, and he found himself walking into a practical wall of alpha scent, and he had to fight the urge to wrinkle his nose. 

In Konoha and much of the main continent, it was considered polite to not saturate an area with your pheromones. However the Land of Snow was known to be very traditional in the way they allowed gender roles to permeate their chain of command. Other alphas may have taken this as a challenge themselves, but Kakashi didn’t need to prove anything. He kept his own scent in check and simply bowed towards the man and extended the scroll. 

“Thank you for making the journey, Hatake-san.” Kazahana said as he took the scroll and unlocked the chakra seal on it. At the mention of his name, his beta escorts tensed up behind him, standing even straighter than before. Kakashi had to fight off the urge to roll his eye. It was rare for him to experience some anonymity amongst shinobi and he had been looking forward to it. Now that opportunity was gone. 

“It was no trouble. The journey was long but easy enough and I was hoping to leave at dawn.” Kakashi kept his voice even, used to political dealings but also tired of them. Also, the sooner he left, the sooner he could turn in his mission report and see Iruka.

“Are you sure? For someone who is unused to the tundra, back to back travel can be grueling, dangerous even. Please know that you are welcome to stay until you are rested.” Kakashi nodded and expressed his gratitude but affirmed that he would be leaving in the morning. Kazahana nodded to his escorts and they brought him to the guest barracks. 

The guest barracks had clearly not been used in a long time, but they had taken the effort to do a cursory cleaning which Kakashi appreciated. He took the time to meditate and rebuild his chakra reserves for his return journey. Just as he was finally settling in, he sensed two chakras outside of his door. He stood up and walked over, sliding open the fusuma.

Kakashi was not prepared by the scent that overcame his senses. Two omegas greeted him, a man and a woman. The woman was holding a tray with a simple meal on it, both of them looking at their feet. The smell was broadcasting one thing:  _ submission. _

“Goodevening, Hatake-san. We were sent to deliver your dinner.” the man said in a low voice, still looking at the ground. He was short and slight, with long brown hair they hung loosely around his face. They both wore thin, light blue yukatas with the village symbol embroidered on the breast.

“We are also to offer you companionship during your stay.” the woman said in an even smaller voice, extending the tray slightly. 

Kakashi barely contained his frustration. These were not shinobi. They were simply omega that were kept around to  _ entertain _ alphas. Kakashi bristled at the thought, but kept his opinion to himself, taking the tray from the woman and making sure his own scent was contained and not broadcasting anything other than polite gratitude.

“Thank you for dinner. Your - er - companionship is not necessary at this time.” Kakashi gritted out, dismissing the pair. He closed the fusuma and heard them move quietly away. Kakashi set the meal down, all of the calm he had accumulated during his meditation gone. In the Land of Fire, omegas were respected and not seen as lesser citizens. Kakashi did admit that they tended to lean towards different roles in society, but an omega could make it up any ranks. Betas tended to fall into political roles because they were often so amicable and even tempered. Omegas might stay home and raise a family, but that was not a rule or even that typical. 

He thought about Tenzo back home. Instead of a strong anbu operative, he imagined him being kept around the barracks to entertain visiting alphas. Kakashi’s blood boiled, imagining one of the most powerful shinobi he knew reduced to a  _ companion _ . He attempted to reign himself in, but then his thoughts shifted from Tenzo to Iruka and he felt a rush of renewed anger. He imagined Iruka having to go to the barracks to offer his body to other alphas.

Kakashi stopped his pacing when he realized he was pushing out protective pheromones so thick they would gag anyone who came in and he was thankful he was alone in his room. He attempted to settle down. He knew he would need to rest if he were to make the journey back in the morning, and he wanted to leave this frigid medieval land as quickly as possible. 

Not one to accept food from an unknown source, even in an allied village, Kakashi took out a ration bar. They were not made to be tasty, but he managed to get it down and propped himself up on the bed, his back against the wall. Slowly, his frustration leaked out of him and he allowed himself a fitful sleep.

_________________

Kakashi was up before dawn and decided he was rested enough. He found a new pair of escorts outside his room and nodded to them, ready to leave. They led him out of the village, and this time they avoided curious eyes as it was still very early. He watched with interest as the guards melted down the wall so they could exit, and they began their journey back to the shore. 

The escorts were not chatty shinobi and that suited Kakashi just fine. When they reached the docks, one escort left to charter passage for Kakashi. The alpha shifted the wool cloak off his shoulders and held it out to the other escort, but he was told to keep it. He knew it would be cold on the boat, so he accepted the offer and shrugged it back on. 

He was brought to the ship that would bring him back to the mainland, and he nodded a thank you to his escorts. They bowed, a little lower than Kakashi thought they would have if they did not know who he was. He didn’t care, he had never been one for pomp or circumstance. He boarded the ship and set off towards home. 

The journey home was much of the same, although he did not summon Pakkun to accompany him on the way back. He had a lot of his mind and wasn’t up for conversation. He managed to avoid any confrontations with missing nin, and he only summoned his ninken when he needed short bouts of rest as he liked to have them keep watch. When he thought about turning in his report to Iruka, felt himself moving even faster toward Konoha.

When he saw Kotesu and Izumo at the gate, he finally allowed himself to feel the exhaustion that he had pushed to the back of his mind. They nodded as he entered the village, and he headed directly to the jonin barracks to shower and sleep. He did manage to stop and grab some takeout miso soup.

Kakashi reached his small bachelor apartment, and lowered the wards. As he walked to the shower, he striped his uniform, leaving a trail of clothes in his wake. He turned the water on as hot as it would go, although the barracks didn’t have the greatest water pressure. He felt like he needed to chase away the cold that had managed to creep into his bones. He would try to avoid any other missions to the Land of Snow in the near future.

Kakashi let the hot water work his muscles, finally relaxing. He dried himself with a rough towel and managed to pull on a pair of boxers before collapsing into his bed. He was asleep the moment his head hit the pillow, Iruka’s deep brown eyes permeating his dreams.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much to anyone who has been reading, commenting, and bookmarking. I appreciate you so much. I have the next few chapters planned but I also love suggestions!


	3. Friendly Advice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kakashi hands in his mission report to Iruka, but doesn't sweep him off his feet like he had planned. He decides to turn to his friends for advice on how to woo a certain omega.

Kakashi spent the next morning writing his report and groaning the whole time. This report was the entire reason for his mission to the Land of Snow, but he had forgotten how tedious it was to fill out a mission form like this. He had gotten used to either direct reports to the hokage or having a subordinate do the write-up. When he finally finished, he tucked the scroll into his vest and decided to take a walk around the village. 

Kakashi’s mind wandered as he moved through the streets. While shinobi and civilians were more intertwined in Konoha than in any other village, many of the civilians still gave the copy-nin a wide berth. When he was younger it used to bother him. Now he simply appreciated his ability to move through the village with ease. 

Incidentally, he found himself at the academy and decided to take up residence in a tree on the edge of the practice field. It was a Wednesday and Kakashi knew from his ~~light stalking~~ observations of Iruka that he would likely be taking his students outside for class soon.

Kakashi did not have to wait long before the doors to the academy swung open and a dozen pre-genin raced out into the field, a certain handsome teacher following behind them. Kakashi watched as Iruka guided the children through some shuriken training. In the past, Kakashi would watch pre-genin with a slight distaste. They were small and weak and dirty and  _ loud.  _ However, watching Iruka gently correct them and in turn their shuriken getting closer and closer to their targets made Kakashi grin. Although the children knew that he would not take any shit, Iruka-sensei was also warm and encouraging. He was clear in his guidance and somehow managed to keep anyone from getting seriously injured. He was a natural teacher and had clearly found his calling.

When Kakashi had been in Anbu, his personal calling hadn’t mattered. The only thing that mattered was whatever the current mission required. When the third hokage had retired Hound, Kakashi was left without a path. No longer was he hidden behind a mask, faceless and nameless. Now when he had to kill an enemy, they could look directly into his eyes.

Kakashi shook his head, trying to clear away certain memories crawling to the surface. He watched as parents began to arrive and collect the youngest children, the older ones heading off on their own. Kakashi waited for the chunin to be done for the day and allowed him a head start to the mission office. Kakashi tucked his copy of Icha Icha that he really wasn’t reading into his vest next to his report and headed over. 

_________________

As Kakashi walked into the mission office, he was greeted by a few raised eyebrows but not much else. He hid a smile when he noticed that Iruka’s line was significantly shorter than the others. He stepped into Iruka’s line, only a half dozen chunin and jounin in front of him. He pulled out Icha Icha and pretended to read, but could really only focus on the fact that he was about to have his first conversation with the omega. Kakashi was pulled out of his thoughts by Iruka’s voice, which had risen and taken the same tone he used with his misbehaving students. 

Kakashi looked up to see Iruka glaring at Hamiki Mimura, an alpha jounin he had worked with a few times. “Mimura-san, did you really think I would accept a report this poorly done?!” Iruka raised his voice as he thrust a scroll back towards the ninja at the front of the line. When Hamiki did not reach back out to take the scroll, Iruka stood up and pushed it against the alpha’s chest. “Do it again.” Kakashi’s eye widened at the fiery omega.

“Listen  _ chunin,  _ some of us actually have important things to do, rather than just sit behind a desk all day and brush our hair.” the jounin sneered, leaning towards Iruka. Kakashi wanted to launch himself at the other alpha and rip him away from the omega. However he pressed his heels into the floor and watched the scene unfold with the rest of the room. 

“Perhaps you should be sent back to the academy. I’m sure my students would be happy to tutor you.” Iruka offered, a slight smirk playing on his lips. It was then that Kakashi nearly gagged on the alpha pheromones that erupted from the jounin. It was thick and angry and clearly meant to make the omega back down. A few of the chunin and jounin in the office shifted uncomfortably, not-so-subtly covering their noses.

To Kakashi’s surprise, it did not seem to have any effect on Iruka, who continued to glare at the jounin. “Mimura, if I do not sign off on this scroll, you will not be paid for this mission. So I think it would be in your best interest to take it back, fill it out correctly and in its entirety, and then return it at your earliest convenience.” Iruka said, his cool office voice returning. 

He did not wait for a response as he placed the scroll on the edge of the desk, sat down, and gestured for the next shinobi to step forward. The anger was almost visibly rolling off Hamiki as he grabbed the scroll off the desk and stalked out of the room, the other shinobi giving him a wide berth. 

Kakashi looked down at his own scroll, hoping it was up to par with the sensei’s standards. At the same time, he also liked the idea of riling up Iruka and experiencing that feistiness for himself.

Soon enough, Kakashi found himself at the front of the line, but not before Iruka turned away another sub-standard report. Kakashi stepped towards the desk and waited for Iruka to be done. When Iruka finally looked up, his eyes widened for a moment when he saw the masked ninja. “Kakashi Hatake?” he said, almost to himself. Kakashi nodded shly and held his scroll forward. 

“That’s me.” Kakashi said, trying to keep his voice even. He had done all that work for this moment, and that is all he could come up with?  _ Come on, Hatake!  _ He watched Iruka unroll the scroll and furrow his brow a bit. Kakashi watched a slight frown form and he desperately wanted to reach out and run a thumb over those lips. He noticed the bottom one was slightly plumper than the top. He also noticed that Iruka’s scent was much more muted than it had been when he was drunk at the bar, and Kakashi didn’t like that at all. He wanted to nuzzle into Iruka’s neck and drown in that perfect scent.

“Hatake-san,” Iruka said sternly and Kakashi blinked, pulled back into the conversation. “I understand you do not typically turn reports into this office. While this report is acceptable, I do ask that you do a better job at filling out sections 2 and 7 in the future.” Kakashi watched as Iruka stamped the bottom of the scroll and put it aside. Kakashi cleared his throat.

“Kakashi…” was all the copy-nin managed to get out.  _ Smooth. _

Iruka looked up, puzzled. “Uh, what?”

“You can call me Kakashi.” he repeated and his inner alpha scolded him.  _ That is all you could come up with?! _

“Ah, well yes. Will that be all Hata- er - Kakashi?” Iruka mumbled confused. He cocked his head to the side and Kakashi loved the way it caused his ponytail to fall to the side. However, that movement forced just a bit more of his scent to drift over to Kakashi, and the jounin stilled. The scent called to him, screamed at him to claim the omega in front of him and make him his. He clenched his fists and swallowed a growl that was attempting to crawl up his throat. It was all he could do to keep his own scent in check.

“Yes, um, thank you.” Kakashi rasped and turned away, practically sprinting out of the office. He rounded the corner and shunshined to the roof for some fresh air. He knew he wasn’t going to be able to control himself if he stayed in that room any longer. 

Kakashi reached the roof and leaned forward, hands braced on his knees. An omega’s scent had  _ never  _ affected him like that before. He was ashamed by how he had been ready to leap across the desk and take the poor shinobi right there in front of everyone. He flushed and shifted his uniform pants which had gotten uncomfortably tight. How was he supposed to court the omega if he couldn’t even talk to him? 

Kakashi decided to head back to the barracks for a cold shower to regroup. On his way there, he was stopped by Gai. “My rival!” jounin bellowed before falling into step next to his friend. Kakashi held back a groan and was about to dismiss his friend, but stopped himself when he had an idea.

“Hey Gai, do you think you could get the gang together for drinks tonight?” he shrugged, feigning nonchalance. If he was going to sweep that omega off his feet, he was going to need some advice.

“Kakashi!? Willingly suggesting an evening of friendship and revelry?! Wonderful! I shall arrange it, and if I cannot convince everyone to come, I will only travel by rooftop for a week!” Gai shouted into Kakashi’s ear before he leaped away on his self-imposed mission. He hoped the coming headache would be worth it and continued on his way to the barracks.

____________

That was how Kakashi found himself at a bar on a Wednesday night, surrounded by most of the shinobi he considered friends. Asuma and Kureni were there, along with another mated alpha-omega pair, Yugao and Hayate. Anko had her arms slung around both Genma’s and Raido’s shoulders. Everyone was drinking and laughing, and Kakashi felt himself relax.

“I propose a toast!” Gai shouted, raising his martini. “To my youthful rival, Kakashi, for suggesting this evening of comradery!” quite a few eyebrows were raised at Gai’s declaration, but everyone did raise their glasses. Kakashi flushed.

“Kakashi? You actually suggested human contact?” Anko shouted over her beer, tightening her grip around Raido’s neck.

“Yes, well…” Kakashi said, putting his own drink down. “I have found myself in a situation that requires advice.” Kakashi was not a man to be embarrassed by asking for help, he simply didn’t usually need any. His request had officially piqued his friends’ interests.

“Alright, kid. Shoot!” Asuma said, holding Kurenai’s hand and running a thumb over the top of it, almost absentmindedly. 

“Well, I need some advice on how I should go about courting a particular omega.” Kakashi said attempting an even tone, but he was sure his friends saw right through him. The moment he said it, a few pairs of eyes bulged out at him. Hayate coughed and Genma practically leered across the table.

“Is it Iruka-sensei?” Kurenai asked, and Kakashi nodded, leading Anko to spit out her drink.

“Umino? Seriously?!” Anko cried, grinning evilly and leaning towards Kakashi.

“Yes.” he was grateful his mask was covering the blush that had begun to rise. “I have not been in this situation before as the pursuer, and I would appreciate whatever advice you have to offer.” Kakashi looked over to see Gai gripping his drink, tears already spilling over his cheeks.

“I am so happy for you, Rival. You deserve every happiness this blossoming love has to offer you!” Gai reached out and gripped Kakashi’s forearm with a force that would have snapped a civilian's arm in half.

“Well what type of contact have you had with him so far, other than that time you scented him at the bar?” Asuma chuckled and the blush on Kakashi's face actually peaked over the mask. Anko hunched over, peels of laughter erupting from her. The others raised their eyebrows but said nothing.

“Well I took an A ranked mission, and handed my report to him at the missions office. But other than that, I haven’t spoken to him.” as Kakashi said it, he realized how little progress he had actually been making.

“Then speaking to him is obviously the first step!” Yugao smiled and gripped Hayate's hand under the table. Kuranai and Raido nodded in agreement.

“Unfortunately, when I speak with him, I get - er - distracted. I’m not sure how to describe it.” Kakashi didn’t really want to go into detail about how Iruka’s scent seemed to drive him absolutely crazy with need.

“You smell him and want to jump his bones, you mean?” Genma offered, relishing in Kakashi’s discomfort. The copy-nin cringed at his blunteness, but then nodded.

“Well that won’t do,” Asuma sniggered again. “You are going to need to adjust to his scent to control yourself. I remember when I first scented Kurenai, I could barely…” it was then that Asuma found Kurenai’s hand placed gingerly over his mouth before he could continue.

“You have a few options.” Kurenai cleared her throat. “ You could expose yourself to the scent in small increments, or you can spend more time with omegas who are not suppressing their scent.” she said sweetly, allowing her hand to drop from her mate’s mouth.

Anko piped up next. “Iruka and I are pals! I could definitely steal a scarf or shirt or something from his apartment for you!” he could tell she was already scheming but Kakashi frowned. He pictured himself rutting into a stolen sweater and already felt dirty. He shook his head.

“You can always have a causal romp with an omega to take the edge off before you see him,” Genma winked. “I can personally attest that any omega would be  _ honored  _ to have you in bed.” Kakashi shivered, knowing exactly what Genma was suggesting. 

“Or you can spend time with omegas in a  _ platonic  _ fashion,” Hayate suggested. “I am willing to stop suppressing my scent for you to get used to it. It won’t be as strong as an unmated omega, but it’s a start.” he coughed and shrugged. Kakashi watched a possessive look flash across Yugao’s face, but he knew that was just her alpha instinct and Yugao wouldn't actually be upset with Kakashi for spending time with her mate. 

“Perhaps that could work, although I actually know an unmated omega that I think would be willing to help me…” Kakashi waved his hand as Genma’s eyes brightened. “Someone  _ not _ at this table.” Genma groaned and threw his head back, popping his senbon into his mouth.

“Don’t worry baby, I’ll take care of you tonight.” Anko whispered not-so-slyly into Genma’s ear and the omega perked back up.

“And once you can handle being around him, I propose a grand gesture of your love!” Gai said, who had been suspiciously quiet until then. Perhaps he knew that, as a beta, he couldn’t offer much other than moral support. 

“Thank you for your advice, everyone.” Kakashi said, effectively changing the topic. Anko and Asuma looked like they wanted to tease him more, but Raido launched into a story about his latest mission and Kakashi was able to sit back, sip his drink, and think. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was going to wait until tomorrow to post this, but my constant need for validation is making me post it now.


	4. That's What Friends Are For

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kakashi's friends help him to control his instincts around Iruka-sensei, and Kakashi takes the plunge to talk to Iruka.

The next day following Kurenai and Hayate’s advice, Kakashi found himself at Training Ground 13 with Tenzo. The Anbu operative was without his cat mask, and Kakashi could see his piercing brown eyes as they warmed up together. He stretched out his muscles as his partner did the same.

“So you want me to stop repressing my scent so you can get used to it?” Tenzo confirmed. Kakashi nodded, dropping his weapons pouch on the ground and facing one of his oldest friends. Tenzo fell backwards into his sparring stance and regarded Kakashi carefully.

“Yes, and that will hopefully help me control these...urges….I’m having around Iruka.” Kakashi fought back a blush, but there was no point. He had explained his dilemma to Tenzo, and his friend had been happy to oblige. Kakashi knew that if he was to ever lose control, Tenzo was likely the only one who would be able to control him. That was also why they picked a training ground in a particularly wooded area so Tenzo would have the advantage. “Let’s stick to tai-jutsu only.”

“Okay Kakashi-senpai,” Tenzo said as he redirected the chakra that he had been using to suppress his scent. As he lifted his control and the breeze shifted, Kakashi was hit with the smell. It was like cedar and apples and Kakashi found it comforting and familiar. He opened his eyes just as Tenzo launched himself forward.

Kakashi was immediately on the defensive, blocking the low kicks his friend was aiming at his shins. Tenzo was a hair shorter than Kakashi, but he was stockier and had a lower center of balance. He rushed for Kakashi’s left leg, sweeping it out from under him before jumping back. Kakashi caught himself with one arm and rolled himself back up, relished the strain on his muscles. It was true that not too many shinobi in Konoha could give him a run for his money, but that was why he loved sparring with his former kohai. 

The pair sparred for a few hours, until the sun reached its apex in the sky. There had been a few times Kakashi managed to get Tenzo into a hold, resulting in a direct hit of his scent. He would feel his mind cloud over and his instincts rising to the top. Kakashi would start pinning Tenzo to the ground harder, and a few times he even found himself rolling his hips against his friend. That is when Tenzo would substitute out with a wood jutsu and they would begin again. 

The two slumped against a tree and Tenzo reigned in his scent once again. “Thank you, Tenzo. I think that helped.” Kakashi rasped as he took a swig from his water bottle. His blood had been boiling at the start of the spar, and he hated to admit that he lost control a few times. But he also knew that was the exact purpose of the exercise.

“I think so too,” Tenzo smiled. “You were definitely more in control after the first few rounds.” Tenzo had always respected Kakashi. The older man had practically rescued him from ROOT and had been his first Anbu captain. Kakashi had also been there to help him through his first heat, after years worth of ROOT’s suppressing drugs had finally left his system.

*5 years prior*

_ “Kashi…” Tenzo whined, wrapped in a blanket as Kakashi sat on his haunches on the other side of the room. “I didn’t think it was going to be this bad.” he gasped out, gripping the blankets he had accumulated into a nest around him. Tenzo felt like fire was licking through his veins and trying to escape from every pore. He had already ripped off all of his clothes, his over-sensitive skin crawling. He tossed and turned, but couldn’t find a comfortable position. Nothing would relieve the  _ need _ he felt coursing through his system. _

_ “It’s the drugs. You are essentially experiencing the few dozen suppressed heats all at once.” Kakashi said in a tight voice as he straightened up. He could feel his anger start to rise to the surface. Anger at what Danzo had done to his friend the moment he had presented as an omega. Kakashi clamped down on the fury building inside of him, knowing that an angry alpha was not what his friend needed right now. He went to the small kitchen in Tenzo’s apartment to get a glass of water and a wet cloth. He padded over to Tenzo and pushed the glass into his hand. _

_ “You need to drink this. I know you don’t want to eat anything, but you need to stay hydrated.” Kakashi said softly as he wiped some of the sweat away from Tenzo’s brow. When he pulled his hand away, he felt a strong hand grip his wrist. _

_ “What I  _ need _...” Tenzo groaned, tightening his grip. “...is you, senpai.” Kakashi looked down into Tenzo’s usually shrewd eyes. They were clouded with lust and no matter how much Kakashi tried to suppress his scent, the alpha’s own pheromones were already overwhelming Tenzo’s overactive senses.  _

_ “We talked about this before.” Tenzo panted. “This isn’t just the heat talking. I need an alpha and I feel safe with you…” Tenzo groaned again and Kakashi felt the last of his control splintering, the smell of an omega in heat crushing his resolve. He looked towards the window but before he could escape, a whisper escaped Tenzo’s lips that brought Kakashi to his knees. “Please...alpha….” _

_ Kakashi found himself ripping the blanket off of Tenzo causing his friend to yipe. When he saw Tenz’s erection, hard and leaking and pressing against his abdomen, he growled possessively. The smell of Tenzo’s slick spilling out was too much to fight and he was immediately on top of his friend, their mouths crashing together, his thin mask still between them.  _

_ He allowed Tenzo to tear off his shirt and pants. He gripped Kakashi’s cock like it was a lifeline and Kakashi thrust into his palm. Tenzo didn’t even need to work it to full mast - an omega in heat was more than enough to get any alpha ready. Kakashi reached down to toy with Tenzo, but he was only rewarded with an impatient groan. _

_ “Don’t tease me, senpai. I’m already there. I can take you.” Tenzo whimpered as he tilted his own chin up, baring his neck submissively. “Please, alpha…” he squeaked out and Kakashi couldn’t hold back anymore. He pinned Tenzo arms above his head and thrust forward until he was buried in Tenzo to the hilt.  _

_ The next hours passed with a blur, Kakashi only maintaining enough control to not bite and mark Tenzo permanently. He knew he was not there to claim Tenzo for his own. He was here to help a friend. The younger man was writhing beneath him, and his keening only stoked the fire inside Kakashi. When Kakashi’s cock needed a break, he pulled out and worked three fingers into Tenzo who was practically howling with need.  _

_ Eventually Tenzo went limp in Kakashi’s arms, but Kakashi knew it was only a matter of time before Tenzo woke again with a renewed need. He detangled himself from the omega, careful not to wake him. He came back with a wet cloth and gently ran it across Tenzo’s body in an attempt to clean off some of the cum and sweat. The sheets were another matter entirely, but there was no point to changing them until Tenzo’s heat had completely passed.  _

_ Usually a heat would be two or three days, but with Tenzo having suppressed so many years of heats, Kakashi wasn’t sure how long this would take. When his friend had asked him to help him through this, Kakashi had taken a week of personal leave to tend to him. As he looked down at the omega’s flushed body, he hoped a week would be enough time.  _

_ When the alpha was satisfied with his work, he set the cloth aside and resumed his position in the bed, curling his body around the omega. Kakashi had been told that waking up without an alpha could throw an omega into a panic, and wanted to avoid that at all costs. In the end, the week had just barely been long enough. _

*Current Day*

“I really appreciate your help with this,” Kakashi mumbled, leaning against a tree. 

“It’s no problem. You obviously have it bad for this sensei.” Tenzo teased Kakashi, elbowing him in the ribs. Kakashi’s blush confirmed his suspicions. 

“I just don’t know how our paths have never crossed before,” Kakashi mused, looking up at the sky. Looking away, he didn’t see the slight shadow cross over Tenzo’s face. “So any last minute omega advice for me?” Kakashi chided, watching the clouds.

Tenzo hummed, considering the question. “I’m not sure, senpai. We are all very different. I guess that my only advice is to keep that in mind.” he said quietly and Kakashi nodded. The two stayed there for a while longer, enjoying the breeze and the quiet company. It was rare that they were able to spend time together like this, relaxing without the pressure to make idle chat. They both had their demons, and sometimes it was just nice to not be alone. 

Tenzo made to stand up first, and Kakashi realized he had actually been dozing, his head resting on Tenzo’s shoulder before he had shifted. His friend’s comforting omega scent had soothed him right into a light nap. 

“Sorry Senpai,” Tenzo frowned as he collected his own weapons pouch. “My Anbu tattoo is burning. I need to -” Kakashi held up his hands before his friend could finish and gave him an eye smile. 

“I’m the last person you need to apologize to. We’ll catch up later.” Kakashi said earnestly as he watched his friend disappear in a swirl of leaves. For a moment, Kakashi almost felt jealous. His own tattoo hadn’t called him away for a mission in years. Sometimes he missed the urgency, the adrenaline. Sometimes he missed the mask. 

_______________

That evening he headed over to Kurenai and Asuma’s apartment for dinner. Kakashi had brought the ingredients to make his favorite, eggplant miso soup, and the couple was more than happy to allow him to take over their kitchen. 

Anyone could see the absolute devotion Asuma had to his mate. Anytime Kakashi looked up from the stove, he would see Asuma’s eyes following Kurenai as she moved through the apartment. Their connection was almost tangible in the room, and Kakashi couldn’t decide if it was heartwarming or nauseating. In the past he would have definitely decided on nauseating, but now he found himself yearning for that type of connection himself. 

They chatted about missions and village politics, but the reason for his visit never left Kakashi’s mind. The moment they sat down for dinner, Kurenai spoke, “Alright Kakashi, are you ready for me to stop suppressing my scent?” she asked kindly, smiling at the masked shinobi. Kakashi saw Asuma tense but when her mate nodded, Kakashi did too.

Kuranei’s scent hit Kakashi and he shut his eyes, willing himself to relax. The aroma was floral, and Kakashi could pick up on notes of honeysuckle and rose. It was pleasant, but as a mated omega, there was something beneath her scent that put him off, just as it was supposed to. 

Kakashi opened his eyes and could see the tension hadn’t quite left Asuma’s shoulders. Kakashi tried to release the most nonthreatening pheromones he could and released his death grip from the table. He looked to Kuranei who smiled and began to eat, seemingly unconcerned with Kakashi’s possible aggression. With her being so at ease, the alphas shared a glance and began to eat as well.

Soon enough the conversation began to flow naturally again, and Kakashi could breathe through his nose without up-ending the table or storming out of the apartment. He considered the evening a success. 

Kakashi had a similar dinner that week with Yugao and Hayate. It had gone well, but the real challenge was when Genma invited him over to have tea one evening. As an unmated omega, his scent would not have the same underlying warning that Kurenai’s and Hayate’s did. 

To be safe, they also invited Gai and Raido to join them. The betas would act as buffers between the pair. Gai was there to make sure Kakashi didn’t lose control, and Kakashi was pretty sure that Raido came to make sure Genma did not attempt to seduce Kakashi, although he didn’t say it right out. 

The four sat around the kotatsu, with the alpha and omega across from each other. Kakashi gripped his teacup, nervous about his possible reaction. In Konoha, it was considerate for shinobi to keep their pheromones to a reasonable level when with friends and acquaintances. Outside of missions and helping Tenzo and a few other anbu with their heats, there had only been a few times Kakashi had been hit with undiluted omega pheromones. 

Kakashi had been propositioned at a few bars, and he hadn’t tried to fight his instincts at the time. He knew the omegas were using him, just as he was using them. It was simply a way many unmated alphas and omegas scratched an instinctual itch before it got out of control. However, this was going to be the first time he was actively trying to fight it off and stay neutral.

“Go ahead,” he said between gritted teeth, and Genma released his pheromones in full force. Kakashi allowed himself to breathe deeply in through his nose and the teacup shattered in his hand. Immediately Raido and Gai both placed a hand on each shoulder, and it became clear to Kakashi why Genma was always the first choice for any honeypot mission. No alpha should be able to fight off the alluring aroma coming from the jounin across from him.

His body was responding to the omega, but at the same time the smell started to repulse Kakashi. While his instincts encouraged him to leap forward and take Genma for himself, they also wanted him run the other way and bury himself in a different scent.

Kakashi fought back a deep growl, but the low sound did escape his throat. It wasn’t helping that Genma was practically glowing with pride for bringing such an infamous shinobi down to his baser instincts.

“Talk through what you are experiencing,” Raido said in a calm voice, but Kakashi could see the tension on his scarred face. Kakashi swallowed and gripped the edge of the kotatsu, still insisting on breathing through his nose.

“Well there is the obvious reaction…” he said through his teeth, almost hissing.

“You want a piece of this omega ass, don’t you Kakashi.” Genma winked and Raido shot him a disapproving look. “You are not helping, Genma. Your job is to just sit there for now.” Raido scold, but Genma still leered at Kakashi.

Gai spoke up next, “What else? What is keeping you from going after him right now? I am not using my full strength to hold you back.” his voice was tight with concern for his best friend.    
  


Kakashi furrowed his brow. “He smells like he should, but also…”, he was trying to sort out his thoughts. “...but also like something is missing? He isn’t…” he stopped himself but Genma finished the sentence for him with a bit of a frown. 

“I’m not Iruka-sensei,” he said morosely, leaning back into what could almost be described as a pout. Kakashi realized he was right and nodded his head. The betas slowly let go of his shoulders, and it seemed any immediate danger had passed. Gai and Raido smiled, Genma pouted, and Kakashi sagged backwards into the floor. 

“This is exhausting,” he muttered, throwing an arm over his face. Iruka-sensei had completely turned his life upside down and the teacher had no idea.

“This is wonderful news!” Gai shouted, thrusting his own teacup into the air. “It means that Iruka-sensei must be your fated one!” Kakashi groaned and Genma actually chuckled. 

“You believe in soulmates, Gai?” Genma sniggered. “Well, I suppose if anyone would, it would be you, you big sap.” Genma picked his own cup up and tapped it against Gai’s.

Raido made a pensive sound and Kakashi moved his arm to look at the scarred shinobi. “It’s not impossible. Maybe not soulmates, but many people say that certain alpha-omega pairs can have a stronger connection than others...” Raido was lost in thought and Kakashi thought he saw a flash of jealousy cross his face, if only for a moment.

Not for the first time, Kakashi considered what it would be like to be a beta. He had always considered being a beta to be an asset to a shinobi. They didn’t need to suffer through heats or ruts, they tended to be more logical and better at politics and finding compromises. Instincts didn’t rule them the way they did alphas and omegas.

Kakashi had been so volatile in his youth that no one had been surprised when he presented as an alpha at such a young age. He had been frustrated by his nature at the time, and would have preferred to be a beta.

But now as Kakashi looked at Raido, he could almost pity the beta. Raido would never know how confident an alpha could feel, wrapped around their omega and protecting them from the world. He would never know how safe and yet powerful an omega could feel, having an alpha at their beck and call to protect and worship them. 

The four stayed seated at the kotatsu for a few more hours, Kakashi focusing on his breathing and Genma allowing his scent to permeate the small apartment. Gai had brought his Karuta deck and they played until the sun went down. Much to everyone's surprise, the mild mannered Raido was a very sore winner. And to no one’s surprise, Genma was a sore loser. 

“That’s it!” Genma groaned and threw his cards across the middle of the table. “I’m tired of losing. Why don’t you three get out of my damn house, huh?” he said, but the words lacked any venom. They shared a laugh, finished off the tea in the pot, and went their separate ways. 

Kakashi slept well that night, thinking about the possibility of a special connection between him and his coveted omega. He dreamed of lemongrass and oolong tea. 

______________

  
  


Kakashi smiled as he headed towards the academy. After a week of daily sparring with Tenzo and a few dinners in Kurenai, Hayate, and Genma, Kakashi felt like he was ready to control his instincts around Iruka. None of their scents appealed to Kakashi quite the same way as Iruka’s did, but it had still been good practice.

Kakashi had timed his arrival at the academy gates to be shortly before Iruka’s shift at the mission desk. The teacher was carrying a large stack of scrolls with him, and was startled to see Kakashi leaning against a tree, shoulders slumped but clearly waiting for him. “Hata - Kakashi?” Iruka hesitantly asked, cocking his head and making his ponytail swing lightly.

“Hello, Iruka-sensei” Kakashi smiled brightly under his mask. The breeze shifted so that Kakashi was downwind and he had to breathe through his mouth to control himself. Iruka was sweet and glorious and perfect and would definitely not appreciate being mounted outside his place of employment. 

“May I walk you to the Mission Office?” the alpha offered, a hopeful glint in his eye.

Iruka furrowed his brow, readjusting the scrolls in his arms. “Umm, why would you do that?” Iruka stared blankly, still confused by the odd shinobi in front of him. “We don’t even know each other.” he pointed out.

“Not yet,” Kakashi said in a low voice, but instead of amusing Iruka, it seemed to have the opposite effect. Iruka frowned and then he actually rolled his eyes at the jounin. 

“Hatake-san, I am very capable of walking to my own job without the escort of a perfect stranger.” he attempted to brush by Kakashi but Kakashi instinctually moved to stand in his way. He saw anger flash in the chunin’s eyes and Kakashi put up his hands in defense.

“I just thought we could get to know each other…” Kakashi said, not prepared for the teacher to be so petulant. Without really meaning to, he reached out to touch Iruka’s shoulder and the omega practically hissed.

“And because I’m a mere omega, I’m now supposed to throw myself at your feet and beg for an amazing lay? Thanks, but no thanks.” Kakashi froze, shocked. No part of him had expected that aggressive of a reaction from the mild-mannered teacher. Everyone he spoke to always regarded the sensei as polite, kind and warm. Kakashi attempted to cut his losses, muttering an apology and stepping out of the chunin’s way. He sheepishly watched as Iruka stalked away towards the mission’s office. 

Well that was not how this was supposed to go _ at all. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There was some foreshadowing in the chapter...anyone pick up on it?
> 
> As always, thanks for reading and commenting and being generally wonderful!


	5. A Mission Assignment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a harsh rejection from Iruka, Kakashi tries to regroup and come up with a new approach. Then he is summoned by the hokage with a new mission

It was Gai that first noticed Kakashi was even more despondent than usual. The beta had challenged the copy-nin to a spar, but was disappointed in his opponents lack of focus. 

“Kakashi!” Gai shouted as he flipped away from a jab that would have met his ribs. “You are clearly not yourself! Are you having trouble courting the young and handsome Iruka-sensei?” Gai saw a flicker of frustration cross Kakashi’s face as the alpha launched at him with renewed vigor.

“Aha! That must be it!’ Gai bellowed, ducking between the kicks and punches Kakashi was aiming at him. Kakashi’s attacks were almost too easy to dodge. He was all raw power and frustration and none of the finesse Gai had come to associate with his rival.

Kakashi heard a growl rumble in his own throat as he threw another punch aimed at Gai’s chin. He ended up throwing himself off balance and landing forward on his knee as the other jounin simply stepped aside. Not one to take advantage and throw a dirty punch, Gai jumped away to give his rival room to collect himself.

“Perhaps I could speak with Iruka-sensei and convince him of your merits as a potential mate!” Kakashi knew that his friend was attempting to help, but the reminder of his spectacular failure at the academy only made him angrier. Aggression began to seep out of him as he dug his fingers deeper into the dirt. 

Kakashi just kept replaying Iruka’s scathing words over in his head. ‘ _ And because I’m a mere omega, I’m now supposed to throw myself at your feet and beg for an amazing lay? Thanks, but no thanks _ .’  Kakashi was nowhere near a blushing virgin, but hearing Iruka’s blunt words had thrown him for a loop. He had never really had to approach his sexual partners before. He was always the one to be approached by omegas, alphas and betas alike. How was he supposed to court an omega that apparently had something against alphas? 

“He doesn’t...appear to like alphas.” Kakashi said between deep breaths, pushing himself back up into a standing position. Gai cocked his head in surprise but then proceeded to shake his head.

“Then you mustn’t approach him as an alpha! You must approach him as Kakashi Hatake!” Kakashi stopped to think about that option. Many of the alphas he knew had given him advice on how to court an omega. “Take charge.,” “Spread your scent,” “Physical contact will draw them right to you!” Somehow, Kakashi didn’t think any of those strategies would make him appeal to Iruka.

“But I  _ am _ an alpha,” Kakashi groaned. “It’s not like I can turn it off.” Maybe talking to Gai was a mistake. He was a beta afterall, and although could be sympathetic, he couldn’t really understand what he was going through.

“Yes, but that is only one piece of Kakashi Hatake! You are so much more than that. Just like Iruka-sensei is more than just an omega.” Gai pointed out as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. However, it was like a switch had been turned on in Kakashi’s brain. He had been courting the omega when he should have been courting the Iruka.

“Tenzo said something similar...Perhaps you are right, Gai,” Kakashi said slowly, gears turning in his head. He needed to find out how to appeal to Iruka Umino personally, not just on a surface level. And for that he would need to do some more recon.

______________________

Kakashi figured, what better way to get to know someone than to know their friends? He didn’t know too many of the chunin’s friends, and it was clear that the beta Mizuke would not be interested in helping Kakashi in his mission to court Iruka. That was the logic that brought Kakashi to the northern gate of the village and in front of Izumo and Kotetsu. 

“You aren’t scheduled to leave today, Hatake-san. Shall we mark the ledger?” Izumo raised his visible eyebrow. The two chunin were always aware of who was and who wasn’t away on a mission, and they kept excellent notes.

“Mah, I’m not leaving…” Kakashi scratched the back of his neck. “I was actually here to talk to the two of you.” he said casually, as if it were something he did all the time. The pair exchanged a knowing glance, and Kakashi suddenly began to believe in telepathy. 

“Well, here we are...,” Izumo said warily.

  
“So what would you like to talk about?” Kotetsu finished. They both stared at Kakashi expectantly. The jounin cleared his throat. 

“I was hoping you could tell me about Iruka-sensei.” Kakashi said, rubbing the back of his neck, giving them his patented eye-smile.

Two pairs of eyes widened slightly, but it was Izumo that recovered first. “Do you have an interest in mating with Iruka-sensei?” he said, almost accusatory. Kakashi did not appreciate his tone. 

“And what if I am?” Kakashi scoffed, more aggressive than he had intended. What was it about Iruka that seemed to set the alpha off so easily?

“Well…” Kotetsu regained himself, “Typically when an alpha jounin comes out of nowhere and starts asking questions about an omega chunin, there aren’t too many other reasons why that would be.” Kakashi wanted to wipe the smirk on the beta’s face, but he kept his hands tucked into his pockets. Snapping at Iruka’s friends was definitely not the way to the teacher’s heart. 

Kakashi allowed his shoulders to sag and did not deny Kotetsu’s guess. Then the pair did something Kakashi wasn’t not expecting. They laughed. Hard. And Kakashi did not appreciate that either.

“I don’t see what’s funny,” he spat, balling his hands into fists. As he felt his frustration rising, he sent an extra blast of chakra to conceal his scent. Overwhelming the two betas with aggressive pheromones wasn’t going to improve the situation. That’s what his brain said anyway. His instincts were telling him to crush them.

“It actually is,” Kotetsu wheezed, gripping his knees.

“Can you believe it?” Izumo grabbed his mate’s shoulder. “Konoha’s most eligible alpha bachelor just happens to fall for the only omega that doesn’t give a rat’s ass!” Kakashi could feel his control slipping, and anger started to bleed into his vision. How dare they mock something they could not understand?

“What does Iruka have against alphas?” he asked through clenched teeth, a growl barely contained.

“To be honest…” Izumo furrowed his brow. 

“We’re not quite sure. He’s always been that way.” Kotetsu shrugged.

Kakashi wanted to cut his losses, but his inner alpha demanded he stay and learn everything he could about the omega. “Please. I am asking you how I can get close to him.” Kakashi hoped the betas could hear the sincerity in his voice.

The two seemed to like his response, and despite their earlier chidings, they were willing to help. They told Kakashi about Iruka’s favorite restaurants and what he was like on a night out with friends versus when he was working at the mission desk. They told him about his short temper and how most of the chunin and jounin tended to stay out of his line at the mission desk if they could. The image of Iruka reaming out arrogant jounin made Kakashi grin under his mask. 

Unfortunately, the pair did not know too much about Iruka beyond the surface, nor could they tell Kakashi much about his past. They had already been working at the mission desk for a year themselves when Iruka started, and it was the same time Iruka-sensei had started teaching at the academy. They knew his parents did with the Nine Tails Attack, that he made Chunin at age sixteen, and started teaching and working with them at nineteen. 

“Thank you for the insight gentlemen,” Kakashi bowed slightly before leaving. “I would appreciate it if you kept this between us.” he said in a friendly tone. However he did allow some of his alpha pheromones to come out, making it clear to the betas that he was not joking. The last thing he needed was for Iruka to hear that he had been poking around before Kakashi was ready. He noticed Kotetsu wrinkle his nose, but Izumo kept a straight face, nodding solemnly. Kakashi hoped that Iruka’s friends had some level of discretion.

_________

Kakashi spent the next few days restless. He avoided the academy, as to not spook the teacher.

He hadn’t been on a mission since the Land of Snow and was getting antsy. Sparring with Gai and Tenzo kept his body busy, but his mind kept buzzing and the only thing to occupy it was thoughts of Iruka. He needed a mission to get that beautiful omega out of his mind. Even reading Icha Icha couldn’t distract him. Everytime he reread certain scenes, he would start to imagine Iruka in place of the characters, hair down...legs spread…. _ presenting for him… _

“Kakashi-san,” a voice pulled Kakashi from his thoughts and Kakashi  _ almost  _ jumped, his eye widening. He had been trying to read in a tree when the Anbu landed silently beside him. They turned their head to the side, surprised they had been able to take the infamous copy-nin by surprise.

“Owl.” Kakashi acknowledged the masked shinobi, tucking his book into his vest.

“Lord Sandaime requests your presence for a mission debrief.” Kakashi nodded and the Anbu shushined away in a gust of leaves. Kakashi grinned to himself. He had been ready for a mission.

________

What Kakashi had  _ not  _ been ready for was Iruka-sensei also being in the hokage’s office. As he swung his legs through the window, Kakashi’s jaw nearly dropped when he saw Iruka standing in front of the hokage’s desk, both of them clearly waiting for him to arrive. Hiruzen took a puff of his pipe, and Iruka narrowed his eyes, seemingly displeased at Kakashi’s arrival. 

Kakashi pulled himself together and went to stand next to Iruka, taking care to breathe through his mouth. The omega had excellent chakra control over his own scent, but it still called out to the alpha like a siren song.

“Thank you for joining us, Kakashi. You are being sent on another mission.” The hokage seemed not to notice the two shinobi’s unease. Either that or he didn’t care. 

“Anbu has been tracking a shinobi that has been confirmed to be a spy from the Land of Waterfalls with information regarding the Leaf.” Hiruzen sighed, taking another drag from his pipe before continuing. “Unfortunately, the spy was eliminated recently and is expected at a rendezvous within five days. If he does not arrive, it may alert the enemy and we would like to take this opportunity to plant false information. You are to escort Iruka-sensei to the rendezvous point, where he will be posing as the spy.” Hiruzen pulled a scroll out and handed it to Iruka. Kakashi’s head was spinning, and he heard words tumbling out of his mouth before he could really comprehend them.. 

“Pardon me, hokage-sama. Why is Iruka-sensei be sent on this mission?” Kakashi asked. “Shouldn’t someone trained in espionage be sent on a mission of this type? Is he even on active duty?!” Kakashi knew he was rambling but couldn’t seem to stop. The idea of Iruka out in the field or in danger making his stomach turn. The hokage didn’t get the chance to answer before Iruka spoke.

“Oh excuse me,  _ elite _ . I did not realize you were so informed regarding my level of training and my status. Thank you for your concern.” Iruka practically spit the words at Kakashi, his face getting red. Before Kakashi could respond, Hiruzen began to rise from his seat.

“Kakashi, the only description the enemy has regarding the spy is a young shinobi from the Land of Waterfalls with a facial scar, who happens to be an unmated omega.” Kakashi paled as the hokage narrowed his eyes at him, his tone sharp with authority. “And as you are fully aware, omega scent is not something that a shinobi can mimic with a henge or transformation jutsu...” 

Kakashi started to tune out as the hokage’s words started to sink in. There was really only one type of mission that specifically required an unmated omega, and it made Kakashi’s stomach turn itself in knots.  _ This was a honeypot mission. _

“But what about Genma…”  _ or Tenzo, or anyone else! _ Kakashi finished the thought in his head. __

“Genma is too old, and we have reason to believe he might have an entry in the enemy’s Bingo Book. And anyone  _ else _ that may be able to complete this mission is otherwise occupied. This is not up for debate” the hokage flashed Kakashi a warning look.

“Excuse me, Hokage-sama,” Iruka spoke, his even tone hiding his displeasure. “I would appreciate an escort that will be able to get through the entire mission without  _ scenting _ me. I’m sure the scent of an aggressive alpha covering me will hinder my ability to complete the mission.” Kakashi felt a blush rush to his face as he stared at Iruka, and Hiruzen blinked surprised. He had not anticipated any animosity between the men. He didn’t even know that they knew each other.

“Iruka, the shinobi you are meeting with is a known Earth-Style user. Kakashi’s lightning will offer the best protection if the mission goes south.” He turned to Kakashi. “The enemy is expecting a non threatening, unmated omega informant. Iruka needs to arrive at the rendezvous as such.” he narrowed his eyes, still surprised at both the shinobis’ negative reactions to each other. 

Iruka placed his hands on his hips, face still red but holding back his temper. Kakashi felt his own shoulders sag in defeat. Then Iruka tucked the scroll into his chunin vest and dismissed himself, brushing past Kakashi without a second look. Kakashi remained in his place, still reeling from the entire interaction.

The hokage cleared his throat. “Is there something regarding your relationship with Iruka-sensei that I should be made aware of?” he looked at Kakashi, and the copy-nin swore the hokage could see right through him. He was about to confess to his intentions to court the omega, but then thought better of it.

Kakashi’s inner alpha was practically shouting at him as he shook his head mechanically.  _ I can’t allow another shinobi to escort Iruka. I need to know that he is safe. I need to protect him! _ “No hokage-sama. There is nothing between Iruka-sensei and myself.”  _ Yet. _ That seemed to placate old man for now, and Kakashi left through the window to pack and prepare

_________________

The next morning Kakashi arrived at the northern gate, unexpectedly early. He leaned against a stone pillar and pulled out his book, attempting to look disinterested. He couldn’t seem to get past a single page though, the nightmares that had plagued him the previous night replaying in the forefront of his mind. 

_ He was running alongside Iruka, enjoying the wind rush past his face as they leaped from branch to branch. Iruka looked back at him, all smiles and warmth. Kakashi felt his heart speed up at the sight of such a beautiful man. He reached out to take his hand, but Kakashi’s footing slipped and he toppled to the forest floor. He braced himself, but instead of the cold hard ground, his fall was cushioned by the chunin now under him. _

_ “Kakashi, you didn’t protect me.” Iruka rasped, blood trickling out of his mouth. His neck crimson, a fresh bite marking him. Had he done that? Had he claimed Iruka? _

_ Iruka coughed up blood again and the scent of lemongrass and oolong tea began to be overtaken by a metallic smell that Kakashi was all too familiar with. He desperately clamped a hand onto Iruka’s neck in an attempt to stop the bleeding. That was when he caught the reflection of himself in Iruka’s headband. He wasn’t wearing his mask. Instead, his own teeth were sharpened and blood covered his lips. Iruka’s blood.  _

_ “I...I didn’t mean to. Iruka, I’m sorry!” Kakashi tried to scream, but nothing came out. He watched Iruka’s eyes glaze over, unseeing. He looked down again to see his own hand, buried deep in Iruka’s chest, the chidori screaming.  _ _   
  
_

_ “No! I didn’t….not again,” Kakashi choked, tears streaming down his face, a combination of blood and salt dripping onto Iruka’s chest… _

  
  


Kakashi felt Iruka’s chakra moving closer and he looked up from his book to see the chunin approaching, a pack slung over his shoulder. He greeted Kotetsu and Izumo with a warm smile and Kakashi felt a pang of jealousy over never having received such a look from the omega. The betas did not mention their conversation from the day before and he tried to relax his shoulders. Kakashi did see Kotetsu raise an eyebrow at him when Iruka’s back was turned, but he kept silent.

Iruka gave Kakashi a brisk nod, and that seemed to be all Kakashi was going to get out of him. As a potential icebreaker, Kakashi decided to summon a few members of his pack to join them. He pressed his canines into his thumb and called Pakkun and Bisuke, who both seemed pleasantly surprised with meeting the new member of their party. 

“Safe travels, shinobi.” Izumo saluted and the pair started their two-day journey. 

____________

Kakashi was glad he had summoned his ninken. While they conversed with Iruka, Kakashi could focus on his breathing and keeping his own scent in check. If this was a true honeypot mission, they could not afford to have Iruka covered in a possessive alpha’s scent, intentional or otherwise. Kakashi led the way, keeping a respectable distance between himself and the chunin. 

As the sun dipped below the horizon, they were about halfway there. Kakashi came to a stop in a small clearing and he heard the three behind him slow down as well. 

“We’ll run a perimeter, boss!” Pakkun said ans he and Bisuke split up to secure the area. Kakashi nodded at his ninken and he put his pack down on the ground, pulling out a ration bar. He looked over at Iruka and held the bar out. Iruka simply sat down on an overturned log to take his bedroll out.

“You think it’s been so long since I was in the field that I wouldn’t remember to pack rations for a four day mission?” Iruka waved the alpha off, pulling out his own bars and opening them slowly. Kakashi retracted his arm and frowned, unsure of what to do next. 

They sat in silence until the ninken returned. “All set boss, no traps and no scents of any shinobi passing through recently.” Kakashi patted them on the head and tossed a few dog biscuits to them which they accepted gladly. 

“I’ll take the first watch,” Kakashi said, glancing over at Iruka. He would tell that Iruka wanted to argue with him, but he could also see the exhaustion in the teacher’s eyes. Iruka hadn’t had a mission out of the village in quite some time and it was catching up to him, not that he would admit it to Kakashi. 

Kakashi leaped up into a tree, and it gave him both a good view of the clearing and Iruka who curled up on his bedroll. Pakkun came to stand next to him and Bisuke went to curl up next to Iruka. Kakashi had expected Iruka to push the ninken away, but he actually lifted the blanket and allowed him to curl up next to his chest. 

Pakkun waited for Iruka’s breathing to even out before speaking. “So this is the omega, huh?” Pakkun grunted. He didn’t wait for a response. “He’s good. He has a kind disposition, and he even brought dog biscuits in his bag. He must have heard about the pack,” at that Kakashi raised an eyebrow but stayed silent. 

The two sat in silence but Pakkun was not satisfied with Kakashi’s silence. “So I take it the courting is not going well.” the alpha groaned and leaned his head against the tree he was in. “Don’t give up. I think he’d be good for you. Bisuke really likes him too.” they looked down to see one of Iruka’s arms had snaked over Bisuke’s small form, tugging him closer. 

“And what do I do if he doesn't accept me?” Kakashi whispered into the dark. It was a question he had been turning over and over in his head for days since Iruka’s rejection at the academy. “I don’t think I could find anyone else…” the idea was too sad and Kakashi had filed it away in the place he usually put his emotions during a mission. A small spot at the back of his heart where he carried his father, his sensei, Rin, Obito…

Pakkuun didn’t have an answer, but simply placed a paw on Kakashi’s leg in solidarity. As the night dragged on, he couldn’t bring himself to wake Iruka for the second watch. He had gone much longer without sleeping, and knew he could manage. 

As the sky started to turn from purple to pink with the sunrise, Bisuke roused and so did Iruka. Kakashi saw Iruka frown and felt a little guilty. He jumped down from the tree, landing softly in front of the chunin.

“Goodmorning, Sensei.” he said in what he hoped was a good natured way. Iruka met his eyes with another slight frown, blinking the sleep from his eyes.

“Why didn’t you wake me for second watch?” he asked through tight lips. Kakashi shrugged his shoulder and rubbed the back of his neck. 

“To be honest, I’m used to 12 hour shifts so it didn’t make sense to wake you.” Kakashi had tried to explain, but realized it sounded like he was bragging. He didn’t want to demean Iruka. He tried to backpedal. “It’s not that I didn’t think you could handle a watch. I just know this whole mission is relying on your - er - performance and I thought the better rested you were, the more chance at success.” Kakashi smiled but on the inside he grimaced, remembering what Iruka’s role in this mission really was. 

His comment seemed to placate the chunin somewhat, and Iruka shrugged as he tucked away his bedroll. “I suppose you are right, Hatake.” he shouldered his pack. “We should get going. We need to reach the inn by nightfall for the rendezvous.” he said. Iruka did allow Kakashi to take the lead, the ninken trailing behind them. 

  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Kakashi cannot catch a break. And now he's suppose to escort Iruka while he seduces an enemy? 
> 
> Please comment what you think might happen, what you hope will happen, or anything in between! I love your comments!


	6. Honeypot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Iruka has a mission to complete, and Kakashi has to make sure he doesn't ruin it.

When they arrived at the inn, Iruka went in alone to pay for a room. He opened the window and the alpha swung in with ease, landing softly on the ugly green carpeting. Kakashi eyed at the large bed in the middle of the room before throwing Iruka a questioning look. The chunin rolled his eyes, which Kakashi was beginning to find an endearing habit.

“Considering the mission, getting a room with two beds would have seemed suspicious. I’m supposed to arrive alone.” Iruka narrowed his eyes on the older man in front of him, before setting up wards so smoothly that Kakashi was thoroughly impressed. “Just make sure to control yourself.” Iruka finished the signs and turned his back on Kakashi, carrying his pack into the bathroom. Kakashi waited until he heard the shower running before unpacking his own disguise. 

Kakashi changed into a set of civilian clothes, keeping his mesh armor hidden. He switched his headband out for a more ambiguous eyepatch and then he removed his mask and replaced it with a thin scarf, his nose still covered. He looked like a weary traveler and nothing more. 

As he dressed, he made it a point to not think about Iruka in the shower, with nothing but a thin wall between. And he was definitely not thinking about what Iruka might look like when he was wet and soapy under a cascade of warm water...

Kakashi had just finished retying his boots when he heard the bathroom door open. Looking up, his heart clenched and his stomach attempted to do a backflip. Iruka was clad in a dark blue yukata that contrasted beautifully with his tan, almond skin. The dirt and sweat from their journey had been washed away, and his skin seemed to glow. The biggest surprise was his usual tight ponytail had been released and his rich, dark hair was cascading down, framing his face beautifully. Kakashi clamped down on his instincts as he realized something that he had doubted in the hokage’s office.  _ Iruka was the perfect honeypot. _

Either Iruka did not notice Kakashi’s reaction or he was choosing to ignore it. The omega swept a brush through his hair one last time before slipping on a pair of delicate looking sandals. Kakashi had to shake himself back into reality when he heard Iruka speaking to him.

“Wait for me to go in first. I know you’ll want to case the area but trust me, I need to get his guard down before you show up,” Iruka spoke with authority and instead of grinding against the alpha’s instincts, it lit a smoldering fire inside Kakashi that he decided he liked. 

Iruka walked up to Kakashi and pointed at him, almost touching him in the chest but not quite. Kakashi fought the urge to grab the hand and pull Iruka into him. Instead, he raised his eye to look right into Iruka’s fiery gaze.

“Do not. I repeat, do not, interfere unless I give you the signal,” his voice was strict but not harsh. “I do not care if you think something is going wrong. Unless I specifically give you the signal, stand down.” Kakashi nodded, although he was not looking forward to watching Iruka seduce an enemy spy all evening.

With a final frown, Iruka left the room to head to the bar downstairs. Kakashi steadied his breathing and left through the window, landing back in the alleyway. He made sure his scarf was secure before blending into the crowd the people milling about the street. He acted like he was interested in a few of the food carts to give Iruka the time he needed. 

After a few minutes,the alpha ducked into the bar, settling onto a stool near the exit.The room was crowded and everyone’s different scents were mixing together in a way that made Kakashi wrinkle his nose. He suppressed his chakra to the level of a civilian and tried to not look as tense as he felt.

From his spot, he could see Iruka tucked into a booth near the back of the bar, the dim lights casting a shadow across his scar. He was facing Kakashi so the alpha couldn’t see the other man’s face sitting across from Iruka, but the jounin already hated him. There were too many scents in the room to distinguish any in particular, but he was sure the stranger was another alpha. 

Kakashi watched them casually, ordering a beer that he didn’t want to drink. He sent a small burst of chakra to his ears, but instead of being able to pick up any particular conversation from the two, it simply made the cacophony of the bar more unbearable. He wouldn’t be able to pick up on what they were saying, so he would have to watch for the hand signal instead.

His gaze shifted back and forth from Iruka, to the stranger, to the condensation dripping along the side of his glass, and back to Iruka. He saw Iruka reach out and touch the stranger's wrist, and a new wave of hatred for the other man began to rise.

The gesture was innocent enough, but also strategic. Kakashi watched as Iruka did everything a perfect honeypot should. He laughed, he blushed, he moved his hair in a way that Kakashi knew must be driving his companion wild. His dark brown eyes seemed to sparkle as they looked at the stranger, seemingly rapt in attention. If Kakashi didn’t know it was an act, even he would believe that Iruka was interested in the man across from him. The omega drew in his prey like a moth to a flame, and Kakashi had to focus on not shattering the glass in his hand. 

After a while, a cute blonde omega sat next to Kakashi at the bar. She ordered a drink and shyly looked up at the alpha. She was everything a typical omega ‘should’ be to attract a mate. Small, demure, and waiting for Kakashi to make the first move. When it was clear he wasn’t going to, she puffed up a bit and took her drink elsewhere. He couldn’t care less about a weak little civilian omega. _ His _ omega was on the other side of the bar with another alpha and he was letting it happen. 

As the evening wore on, Kakashi was barely holding himself together. His instincts started to cloud his mind as he watched Iruka reach across the table again. They were taking care to not be overheard, but every few minutes Kakashi would hear the beautiful sound of Iruka’s laugh carry across the bar. It was lighthearted and warm and Kakashi wanted to hear it everyday. But he wanted to be the cause of his laughter, not this stranger. 

Eventually he saw the stranger get up from the booth and he shifted his weight, ready for a fight. However when he extended his hand, Iruka took it and stood gracefully. The stranger put his hand on the small of Iruka’s back and started guiding him through the bar. Seeing the point of contact made Kakashi’s blood boil and the edges of his vision began to bleed red. The stranger leaned in to whisper something against Iruka’s neck and Kakashi saw Iruka flash a smile that anyone else would believe was real. For a moment, even Kakashi was suspicious. 

He tracked their chakra as they moved through the bar, careful to mute his own. Alerting the stranger to his presence would only put Iruka in danger. Still, the way the man had his arm wrapped possessively around Iruka’s waist had his inner alpha screaming at him to rip the offending limb off of the omega.

Kakashi quietly paid his tab and left the bar, still tracking their chaka signatures as they moved through the building. He ducked into the alley behind the inn and leaped upward, placing himself on the roof outside the stranger’s rented room. 

He listened carefully to the muffled voices, and then the window directly below him slid open. He braced for an attack, but it was Iruka who leaned out, taking a deep breath of the night air. “It’s a lovely night, isn’t it?” he said sweetly to the stranger and Kakashi tried to relax. That was the code to tell Kakashi that everything was fine and under control. But to the alpha,  _ nothing _ was fine and everything was  _ out _ of control 

“It sure is, baby.” Kakashi heard the stranger’s voice and tensed. “But unless you want the whole town to hear you tonight, I would close that window.” he heard the man tease and it made Kakashi sick.

“Promises, promises…” Iruka said in a coy, shy voice as he dutifully closed the window. Kakashi balled his fists so tightly, his nails pierced small crescents into his palms. He didn’t want to listen to what he was sure was about to transpire between this stranger and his omega. It was his responsibility to protect Iruka, but he knew that if he stayed outside the room, he wouldn't be able to control himself. He would end up crashing through the window and ruin the entire mission. 

He sat back on his heels, fighting back his instincts. He reminded himself that Iruka was a competent Konoha shinobi, and that the mission came first. Iruka seemed confident and had specifically given him the signal to stand down. Despite all of that, when he heard a quiet moan coming from the window below, he felt the last of his resolve start to break down.

He summoned Bisuke who appeared to be confused about appearing on a roof. “Bisuke, Iruka is with the target in the room below. I need you to listen for the signal if anything goes south…” Kakashi said in a harsh, low tone. Bisuke looked up at him concerned. “If I stay...I know I won’t be able to control myself,” Kakashi almost growled. He hated how his instincts made him weak. Bisuke nodded and Kakashi leapt off the roof. 

He was torn between storming into the stranger’s room and sprinting away from the city. He settled on going back to the room Iruka had rented them for the evening. It looked like the sensei wasn’t going to be using it for a while...

______________________

Kakashi was sitting on the bed, cross-legged with Pakkun on the floor next to him. He knew that he was saturating the room in aggressive pheromones but he couldn’t stop it. “Update?” Kakashi gritted his teeth, clutching at his knees. 

“Iruka-sensei is...fine.” Pakkun said, trying to sound nonchalant as he focused on what Bisuke was experiencing. He definitely wasn’t going to tell the boss that the omega was keening out in pleasure or about the sounds of a headboard rutting against a wall. 

Kakashi pushed a breath out and tried to meditate again, unsuccessfully. He listened to the tick of the lock and attempted to compartmentalize everything he was feeling. He had never had a problem pushing his emotions away during a mission. There was a reason he held the moniker, Coldhearted Kakashi. And yet, this omega had turned his entire world on its head and had clearly untangled the self control he had spent two decades perfecting. He bit his lip under his mask until he tasted blood, and starting thinking back to his nightmares...

“Boss!” Pakkun called out and Kakashi opened both eyes, Obito’s sharingan spinning wildly. He looked down at the pug who had his paw on his knee and a look of concern on his face. “You with me, Boss?” he asked again and Kakashi nodded. 

Pakkun hopped down from the bed. “Iruka has….completed his mission responsibilities.” Pakkun said, skirting around what they both knew was Iruka’s role. “He is headed back to this room.” 

“Thank you, Pakkun. You are dismissed.” Kakashi said, but Pakkun did not immediately disappear in a cloud of smoke. Instead he stood there regarding the alpha. “Is there something else?” Kakashi kept the irritation out of his voice, but just barely. He was getting the distinct impression that he was being babysat.

“You might want to air out the room.” the pug muttered and disappeared, leaving Kakashi to notice how much his alpha scent had permeated the air. He walked over and threw the window open, the cool breeze ruffling his hair. He heard the door open and spun around quickly to look at Iruka.

Iruka was standing there, and at first glance he looked just as he did when he left, although his hair was slightly askew. But upon closer inspection, Kakashi could see lines of tension in his forehead and a thin sheen of sweat covering his neck. Kakashi watched him wrinkle his nose when he came into the wall of alpha pheromones before rolling his eyes. “Mission successful, we can leave in the morning.” Iruka said in a hoarse voice. “I need to take a shower.” Unfortunately he had to walk by Kakashi to get to the bathroom.

When Iruka passed by Kakashi, his loose hair moved in the breeze from the window and his scent hit Kakashi. He breathed in deeply to enjoy the scent of lemongrass and oolong tea, but instead he inhaled something revolting. Iruka absolutely reeked of the other alpha and Kakashi couldn’t stop himself from tackling Iruka to the bed. 

Kakashi scented Iruka deeply, shoving his masked face into the younger man’s neck. The omega’s unique aroma was there, but it was being covered by something acrid and musty and clearly alpha. Kakashi growled low in his throat, his vision bleeding red. 

In his instinct driven haze, he didn’t notice Iruka reach around and press a tag between his shoulder blades. Immediately, Kakashi went limp and Iruka rolled him off onto the bed. Iruka saw the panic in his eyes and put his hands up. “It’s a binding jutsu. It will wear off in less than five minutes. Let me take a shower and you… calm yourself down.” Iruka said, but it sounded more tired than angry. Kakashi laid frozen on the bed as he watched Iruka close the door behind him.

Kakashi’s alpha instincts were livid, demanding that he break down the door and re-scent Iruka with his own. However the logical part of his brain was grateful to the binding jutsu because it forced him to think. He knew that ripping Iruka apart in an attempt to rid him of that other alpha was not the way to the omega’s heart. He was also embarrassed at his outburst and tried to slow his heart rate and reign in his own scent. 

By the time he felt movement return to his limbs, he had managed to corral his instincts. He stretched his arms out and other than a slight tingle, he was no worse for wear. He stood up slowly and walked over to the bathroom, gently knocking on the door. There was silence and he considered knocking again, but then he heard Iruka’s muffled voice.

“Come in,” he sounded exhausted and Kakashi felt another wave of guilt at tackling the poor man. He pushed the door open and walked into the steamy bathroom, leaning against the sink. Kakashi saw a scroll on the floor, and Iruka must have sealed away the reeking yukata he had been wearing because the only other thing hanging up was a towel. The bathroom smelled like whatever floral soap Iruka was using, but also something chemical. 

He wrinkled his nose trying to identify it, and although he couldn’t place the smell, he was glad he couldn’t smell the stranger anymore. Iruka popped his head around the curtain and saw Kakashi making a face. “It’s a scent blocking soap. It removes any...traces...of other alphas.” Iruka answered Kakashi’s unasked question and disappeared back into the shower. 

Kakashi took a deep breath and looked at his distorted reflection in the foggy mirror. “I would like to apologize for my actions. I was not prepared for…” he didn’t know what to say. He wasn’t prepared for Iruka to smell like another alpha? It should have been expected, considering the mission. “I shouldn’t have…”

“No, you shouldn’t have, but I can’t say I didn’t expect it.” he heard Iruka sigh behind the curtain and he tried to focus on the conversation and not the naked shinobi a few feet away.

“You had that jutsu ready…” Kakashi realized. For Iruka to have that binding tag ready, he must have expected Kakashi to turn feral and aggressive. Iruka grunted in response and Kakashi stared his reflection down.

“Still, I will control myself better on the journey home.” he said quietly and Iruka didn’t respond for a while. He heard the curtain draw back a bit and Iruka’s tan arm was outstretched. 

“Will you hand me the towel, please?” Iruka asked and Kakashi gave it to him, leaving the bathroom to give the omega some privacy. 

He sat on the edge of the bed and tried to clear his head. When the bathroom door opened he tried to keep his eyes on the floor, but he couldn’t stop himself from looking up at the chunin.The towel was tightly cinched around Iruka’s waist as he made his way past Kakashi to his bag. Kakashi looked at him as he passed and was about to apologize again, but the words caught in his throat. 

Despite the deep tan, Kakashi could see angry red scratch marks running up and down Iruka’s back. A few bite marks littered his shoulders and it looked like some light bruises were forming around his hips. Kakashi heard the growl before he registered it coming from his own throat. 

Iruka looked up, wide eyed, and then the realization seemed to dawn on him. He put his hands up, taking the aggressive alpha down. “I’m fine Kakashi,” he said in a low voice that betrayed his exhaustion. “This alpha was a bit more...enthusiastic than others but it’s nothing I haven't dealt with before.” he kept his eyes on Kakashi’s, taking a slow step forward. 

Kakashi reached out quickly and startled Iruka, but his grip was surprisingly gentle. He pulled the chunin towards him, inspecting the small, round bruises that had started to form on his wrists. “In Anbu, we all get a crash course in healing. I’m not great, but I should be able to take care of these…” his voice trailed off as he lightly brushed his thumb over one of the bruises. 

Iruka was surprised by the alpha in front of him. He had been prepared for the aggression when he came back smelling like the stranger, which is why he had the tag ready. However he wasn’t prepared for this uneasy compassion. He mechanically nodded his head and let Kakashi pull him down to sit on the edge of the bed.

He tried to stay sharp and ready to bind Kakashi if he lost control again, but he only watched as Kakashi’s fingertips let off a light green glow and they ran up and down his skin. In all honesty, he had already forgotten about the marks the moment he had left the stranger’s room. They were just more to add to his old collection. However, feeling Kakashi’s chakra healing the lightly damaged tissue and making the bruises fade gave him an odd sense of comfort. He had to make a conscious effort not to lean into the alpha’s touch as he moved across his back. 

“That should do it. No scars and the scratches shouldn’t get infected now,” Kakashi said in a resigned voice. Iruka was about to stand up when he felt Kakashi’s mask brush up against his neck. Iruka tense up, ready to leap away. However Kakashi just scented him deeply and made a distressed sound. “You don’t smell like you…” he said in almost a sad voice.

Iruka turned to look at Kakashi. “It’s the soap. To strip any lingering scent off, I have to remove my own. It should wear off in a few hours,” he said quietly, not sure why he was comforting the alpha and not smacking him away for scenting him. When Kakashi nodded, Iruka stood up and went to grab his shinobi blues from his pack. He disappeared back into the bathroom and when he returned, he half expected to see Kakashi still forlorn on the edge of the bed. 

However, he found Kakashi laying on his bedroll on the floor, a small orange book in his hand. “We should get some rest so we can head out early in the morning. And if I’m being honest with myself I don’t think it’s a good idea to share the bed.” Kakashi muttered, not looking up at Iruka this time. 

Iruka furrowed his brow as he looked at the alpha laying on the floor. “I’m not fragile, you know. I’ll sleep on the floor, you take the bed.” the chunin grumbled as he unpacked his own bedroll and spread it out on the other side of the bed. Kakashi grunted but didn’t move. Iruka rolled his eyes and eased himself down, noting that the skin on his back didn’t feel so raw anymore. 

That’s how two stubborn shinbo both spent the night on the floor, the bed remaining empty. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally, the boys are making some progress. They are still stubborn bastards tho...
> 
> Questions, comments, concerns? Please let me know what you think and I always appreciate suggestions/requests. I have an endgame plan but what happens between now and then is still pretty fluid.


	7. Breaking down Barriers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the mission, Iruka and Kakashi make their way back towards Konoha, and Kakashi is determined to learn more about the alluring omega.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I tried to think what Jiraiya's writing style would be like, and I essentially came up with the most aggressive smut I could.

Kakashi woke up surprisingly well rested, just before sunrise. Before he opened his eye, he allowed himself to take a deep breath and his body relaxed further into his bedroll. Iruka’s scent blocking soap had worn off during the night and the aroma of lemongrass and oolong tea pleasantly filled the room. Kakashi also realized that the smell didn’t seem to awaken a burning need in his veins like it had before. Instead it was more of a lazy comfort, knowing the omega was safe and protected with him.

He sat up and saw Iruka was still out cold, hair splayed out around him. Knowing it was unwise to wake a sleeping shinobi, he waited patiently. He picked up Icha Icha where he had left it facedown on his lap, and picked up where he left off the night before. 

_ Akiko was flushed from head to toe, her heavy breasts swaying as she panted beneath her lover. Her brilliant blue eyes never leave his dark brown ones, swimming like pools of liquid diamond. _

_ “Akiko….” Ryo whispers as he hovered over the glorious woman he loved. His gaze followed the slopes of her body, appreciating the glow of sweat that had gathered in the valley of her chest.  _

_ He leaned down and gently flicked a long, lascivious tongue out, teasing Akiko’s navel before trailing up her sternum. Akiko whined as her lover made his way up leisurely. “There’s no rush, my love.” he whispers again when he reaches the junction of her neck and shoulder.  _

_ “Ryo, please! Take me.” the woman whined, arching her back in an attempt to press against Ryo’s already pulsing member….. _

Kakashi flushed and closed his book abruptly. Kakashi had automatically started picturing Iruka in Akiko’s place in the story, and he knew that wouldn’t end well. He had reread the book enough times that the pages were well worn, and the smutty scenes didn’t usually make his heart rate skyrocket the way they had when he first read them. However, with the smell of lemongrass and oolong tea in the air, he had to focus on keeping the blood in his brain instead of rushing south. 

If he couldn’t read, Kakashi resigned himself to staring at the slightly water stained ceiling. Eventually the sun began to shine through the window, and the gradual light woke the other man. When he heard Iruka shift, he stood himself up, stretching his arms over his head until he heard a satisfying pop. 

Iruka’s hair was wild and since Kakashi couldn’t reach out and fix it the way he wanted, he chose to just appreciate how cute it was instead. Iruka rubbed his eyes and looked up at Kakashi from the floor. Iruka looked at the still-made bed and rolled his eyes, flopping back down onto his bedroll.

Kakashi chuckled, “Not a morning person?” he asked jokingly as he started to roll up his own bedroll. Iruka shook his head and flung an arm over his face, blocking the sun from his eyes. 

‘Actually, I usually wake up before sunrise,” Iruka muttered around his arm. “I like to have tea and get to the academy early. Yesterday must have just worn me out is all.” Iruka said, almost to himself. His arm was still covering his eyes so he didn’t see the shiver that ran up Kakashi’s spine when he was reminded of what exactly had worn Iruka out the night before.

Kakashi tended not to unpack whenever he was on a mission, and he was ready in minutes. He felt like pacing, but didn’t want to agitate the omega laying on the floor. “I’m going to go grab us some food. I’ll be right back and then we can head out.” Kakashi said, but it was more of a question than an order. Iruka grunted in acknowledgement, but by the time he moved his arm to look, Kakashi had already left out the window. 

Kakashi milled about the small main street, looking for something for breakfast. Izumo and Kotestu had told him that Iruka’s all-time favorite food was ramen, but that didn’t make the best breakfast. Being so early, only a few stalls were open to serve people on their way to work. He wandered until he found a small stall serving rice and nori, and it seemed a safe enough option that Iruka wouldn’t mind. 

When Kakashi swung himself back into the room, Iruka had packed up and tamed his wild nest of hair into its typical ponytail. However, Kakashi could still see the exhaustion behind his eyes and started to worry about the journey back. He extended Iruka’s serving and they ate in relatively companionable silence, sitting on the edge of the bed. 

Kakashi noted that Iruka was making a conscious effort not to watch him eat so he could pull his mask down in peace. He greatly appreciated the small gesture. “If you aren’t up to it, we can stay another night, or we can make it a three-day journey back instead of two. We’ve completed the mission, we don’t need to kill ourselves getting back.” Kakashi said, hoping it wouldn’t offend the chunin. He somewhat expected a sassy or sharp remark, but Iruka just sighed heavily. 

“Thanks.” he said between bites of nori. “I don’t want to stay here another night, but it might help if we take a slower pace on the way back…” Kakashi could see the tension in his jaw, and recognized that the exhaustion Iruka was feeling wasn’t completely physical, but emotional. 

Kakashi nodded, but realized Iruka still wasn’t looking at him, so he spoke up. “Okay, I’ll leave through the back of town. We’ll meet up by the edge of the forest path, just in case you are watched as you leave.” he said, trying to keep his voice light. The idea of someone watching Iruka made his protective instincts flare. Iruka just nodded, taking another bite of his nori.

_____________

“Here he comes, Boss.” Pakkun said by Kakashi’s feet. His ninken could smell the omega before Kakashi could see him. When the alpha saw Iruka pass through the gates of the town and start towards the treeline, he let go of a breath he didn’t know he was holding. He thanked the dog and dismissed him.

Kakashi let out a specific bird call to let Iruka know his location, but then he saw Iruka make a subtle hand against his chest.  _ Followed. _ Kakashi immediately went on high alert, looking behind Iruka. Eventually he saw two men about 100 yards behind the omega. At first glance it appeared they were just leaving town at the same time, but Iruka was telling him that wasn’t the case. The omega was still dressed in civilian clothes to look like a simple traveler, and the men following him were likely in for a surprise if they got too close.

Kakashi watched Iruka calmly make his way towards the forest, following the path like any non-shinobi would, and when he crossed the tree line, Kakashi followed along next to him without emerging. He sent out another bird call to let Iruka know he was there.

The men picked up their pace and soon they had closed the distance between themselves and Iruka. Kakashi stayed hidden, but moved slightly closer so he could intervene if need be. Iruka stopped and turned on his heel, surprising the men that were following him. They stopped short, but the sneers on their faces only deepened.The wind changed direction and hit Kakashi with the men’s scents. The air started to smell like aggression, lust, and alpha.

“Goodmorning, gentlemen,” Iruka said in a soft voice, and Kakashi recognized the coy tone Iruka had used with their target. Iruka was staying in character in case these men were with the target. However, they didn’t seem to have much of a chakra signature, and were likely just civilians from the town.

“Hey beautiful,” the shorter one said in a low, husky tone. Kakashi narrowed his eyes and shifted his weight, as if to launch himself forward.

“This is a dangerous place for a pretty little omega like you to walk alone.” the other said in a higher, rough voice. They took a few steps towards Iruka who did not move from his spot, still looking innocently confused.    
  
“Why don’t you let us escort you wherever you are headed.” the continued forward. Iruka jutted his chin out defiantly.

“I’m sure I can make it just fine.” Iruka said, his voice a bit deeper. They were only a few feet away from him, but Iruka didn’t seem overly concerned and Kakashi fought to stay where he was.

The short man furrowed his brow, but then his lips split in a shiteating grin, his yellowing teeth poking out. “It’s not an offer you can turn down,” he said as he reached out and grabbed Iruka by the forearm. He made to yank Iruka forwards, but the omega didn’t budge. The other man made for Iruka’s other arm, but he simply side stepped him as he swiftly brought his elbow down on the offending wrist clutching at him. Kakashi heard a crunch, then an anguished wail, and couldn’t keep the grin off his face. Apparently Iruka could take care of himself.

The man clutched his broken wrist to his chest, backing away with fire in his eyes. “You’ll pay for that, omega!” he screeched as his friend made another attempt to lurch at the omega. Iruka ducked under the punch and kicked the taller thug in the soft spot behind the knee. As he crumpled to the ground, Iruka took his heel and pressed it in between his shoulder blades, grinding him into the dirt.

“Thank you for your concern gentlemen, but your services won’t be necessary.” Iruka said, but instead of a smug smirk, Kakashi could only describe his expression as annoyed. Kakashi watched the shorter man look down at his fallen friend, and it looked like he was debating whether he was going to make another go at Iruka.

He bent down to help his friend up with his good hand. “Let’s go man, we don’t want that little omega slut anyway.” he said as his friend groaned into the dirt. He didn’t even have a chance to see Iruka move before he was kicked in the jaw so hard he lost consciousness. 

Kakashi barely watched the other man on the ground scramble away towards his friend. Instead, Kakashi’s eyes were glued to Iruka, his speed and grace relighting a fire in Kakashi. He had figured that Iruka had to have adequate combat skills to teach the future shinobi of Konoha, but it was another to watch him break down an enemy, even if it was just a civilian thug.

Iruka turned around and walked away, not stopping to look back at the men on the ground. When Kakashi was certain they wouldn’t be getting up any time soon, he continued to follow Iruka along the tree line. Once they were far enough away from the small town, Iruka veered off the path and into the forest to join Kakashi.

Kakashi looked away as Iruka quickly changed into his shinobi blues before they continued on. Without the time crunch from before, they were lightly jogging as opposed to leaping from branch to branch at high speed. Iruka didn’t mention the small tussle, so Kakashi wasn’t sure if he should keep quiet. However as an awkward silence stretched between them, Kakashi decided to try his hand at something that he was not known for...casual conversation. 

“You dispatched those two men well, Iruka-sensei.” he said casually, his eye shifting to the shinobi beside him. As they moved through the trees, Iruka’s scent wafted past him once in a while and the alpha was grateful that it seemed to be offering a sense of comfort rather than desire. Iruka grunted back, sounding a bit annoyed. 

“There were civilians. I could hardly be called a shinobi if I couldn’t take them on.” he said, panting and looking a little tired. Kakashi looked up towards the sky. The sun told him it was about midday, and they hadn’t stopped since they started early that morning. Kakashi slowed his jog and Iruka came to a stop beside him.

“Let’s take lunch before we continue,” Kakashi leaned against a tree and pulled out a ration bar. Iruka started to eat his own, the uncomfortable silence back. Kakashi cleared his throat, “So is that something that happens often...with alphas?” he ventured cautiously. Perhaps that was why Iruka seemed to dislike alpha. 

Iruka shrugged, non committedly. “Not so much in Konoha...” he said around bites, and seemed to drift off into his own mind. Kakashi wanted to keep talking, so he tried a different angle.

“So why did you use tai-jutsu instead of one of those binding tags?” 

Iruka looked up at him quickly, like he had been pulled out of a deep thought. Then he furrowed his brows at the jounin. “I only like to use those when I don’t want to injure the target. I didn’t care about those two alpha shits.” Iruka said matter-of-factly, and Kakashi nodded. Iruka continued. ‘Plus, they take a while to make, and I don’t like to waste them. They are good for students if they get too rowdy, not that it happens often…” Iruka trailed off and the respect Kakashi felt for the man increased. 

“You make them yourself?” he asked impressed, and Iruka nodded a bit shyly. “That’s quite impressive, sensei. I have to admit, I can make a tag in a pinch, but I’ve never been any good at it.” he rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.

“I know, I saw your handwriting on your mission report,” Iruka snorted, and Kakashi appreciated the sound and wanted to keep him laughing, even at his own expense. “Fuinjutsu is actually my speciality,” Iruka added. “It’s how I passed my chunin exams. I couldn’t pummel my opponent or catch them in a genjutsu, so I trapped my mist opponent in a shrinking barrier until they yielded.” Kakashi tried to think back to the chunin exams that year, but he couldn’t remember a dark haired omega trapping an enemy like that. 

“I wish I had been there to see that,” Kakashi said thoughtfully. “I’ve been to almost all the exams in the leaf, so it must have been at another village?” Iruka nodded, confirming his guess. The more the alpha was learning about this teacher, the more he wanted to know.

“So what did you do after making chunin? There was a few years before you started teaching at the academy.” Kakashi asked, eager to fill in the blanks that Kotetsu and Izumo had not been able to. He thought the question was innocent enough, but he saw Iruka’s eyes darken and the omega turned away. 

“A bit of everything, I worked on the front gate wards for a while.” the chunin said quickly and shrugged his pack back on. “Let’s get going.” he said and he started to move toward the leaf village. Kakashi was a bit taken aback and grabbed his own pack, moving to catch up. He wasn’t sure what he had done to upset the other man, but he decided not to pry for the moment. He followed along, noticing Iruka had set a pace that was a bit faster than before.

_____________

As the sun began to set, Iruka slowed down, a thin sheen of sweat on the back of his neck. Kakashi felt like he had a few more hours in him, but he deferred to the chunin. “I need to rest,” Iruka said, sounding strained, “I’ll admit, you were right about me not having missions outside the village in a while. I guess my stamina isn't what it used to be.” he gritted out, leaning an arm against a tree to catch his breath.

Kakashi was surprised at his admission, but didn’t tease him like he would some of his other friends. “Perhaps you could join me for some training when we return to the village.” he said hesitantly, hoping not to scare him off. “One session with Gai and I’m sure your stamina will be back up to snuff.” 

Iruka smiled wryly. “Or Gai will just run me into the ground!” Iruka said between pants and Kakashi smiled back at him.  _ That wasn’t a no. _

“It might be a bit colder tonight, I think we are deep enough within fire country that building a fire shouldn’t be a danger.” Kakashi ventured, looking at the clouds rolling in above them. Iruka stood back up, stretching his arms. A pained groan escaped him and Kakashi immediately felt protective instincts start to rise. 

Kakashi held up his hands, “Why don’t you stay here. I’ll collect some firewood and be right back...if that’s okay with you?” His instincts were telling him to protect and provide for the omega, but he also knew Iruka didn’t seem to take kindly to being looked after. He watched Iruka’s expressions as they flickered from one emotion from the next. He could tell that Iruka’s immediate reaction was to tell Kakshi he didn’t need his help, but the exhaustion seemed to win out. Iruka slumped back against the tree and nodded stiffly. Kakashi turned away and smiled at his tiny victory. 

Kakashi bit his thumb and summoned one of his ninken. He admitted that he didn’t summon any of them in particular, but was still surprised when Bull’s hulking form appeared in front of him.

“Hey, Boss.” Bull said in a deep baritone. The ninken looked back at Iruka leaning against the tree but said nothing. 

“I’m going to collect firewood and do a quick perimeter check.” Kakashi said, looking back at the handsome omega. “You stay here with Iruka-sensei. If anything happens, let me know.” Kakashi saw Bull’s eyebrow rise slightly at Iruka’s name. Obviously the pack has been gossipping…

Kakashi made a mental note to remind the pack that his mated status was none of their business before jogging away, keeping an eye out for the dryest branches. He made a large loop around the area and didn’t pick up any traces of other shinobi. The area seemed safe, but as he was headed back, he felt an odd buzz of chakra in the air. He panicked and dropped the firewood, rushing back to where he had left Iruka. 

Instead of an enemy, Kakashi simply found Iruka on the ground cross legged with Bull calmly standing off to the side. There didn’t seem to be any immediate sign up danger, but the alpha still approached slowly. He cleared his throat and held up the sign for  _ Danger?  _

Iruka looked up and actually flushed a bit. “Oh, Kakashi. I’m sorry I didn’t realize you’d sense it. I was putting together a barrier for our camp. Come here.” Iruka gestured for Kakashi to come forward. He was leaning down, looking at the patch of dirt in front of him. At first glance, Kakashi couldn’t see what he was looking at, but a slight green shimmer let him know that there was chakra there. 

Kakashi lifted the headband off his right eye and let his Sharingan pass over the ground. He could see that from the point Iruka was sitting, a network of chakra wires stretched out in a radius around him. Upon closer inspection though, they weren’t wires at all, but pure chakra thread. “Kakashi,” Iruka murmured as he lowered the headband, the omega a bit surprised at seeing the Sharingan in action. “Will you press a burst of chakra into this seal with your hand?” he pointed at the mark in the dirt. “So she will recognize you.” Kakashi quirked an eyebrow up.

“She?” he said as he hunched down, pressing his hand into the ground. Iruka chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. 

“Oh yeah,” he blushed a bit more, even though Kakashi was looking at the seal and not at him. “When I make barriers, they always seem alive to me, so I sometimes refer to them as ‘she’.”

As Kakashi pressed his chakra into the seal, he watched as bolts of it traveled outward, following the threads beyond his view. He immediately felt a warmth, as if the air inside the barrier were a slightly different weight then the rest of the forest. Kakashi started to understand what Iruka meant when he said they felt alive. 

“It won’t keep someone out,” Iruka continued as Kakashi adjusted to the comfortable tingle at the back of his neck. “But it will alert us if someone crosses it. You, me and Bull can pass through it, because it will recognize our chakra signatures.” Kakashi looked at the chunin, who seemed a bit flustered. He didn’t realize he was staring intently at the omega until Bull let out a cough. 

“Weren’t you supposed to bring back firewood, Boss?” he grumbled and now it was Kakashi’s turn to blush. He stood up straight and was grateful to the mask for hiding the heat rising in his cheeks.

“I dropped it when I felt Iruka set the barrier…” he said in a low voice, still impressed by Iruka’s work. “I’ll be right back.” he jogged away from the two. When he crossed outside the invisible barrier, he immediately regretted the lack of warmth. It had been like Iruka’s chakra had been holding him gently, and now he had been thrust back into the cold. He collected the firewood as quickly as he could and returned to the camp.

When he returned, he was surprised to find Bull resting his chin on Iruka’s leg, alert but content. Bull was the least cuddly of all of his ninken, and even Kakashi could rarely scratch him behind the ears without complaint. If Bull caught his surprised look, he didn’t say anything. He simply let out a deep sigh, leaning further into Iruka.

After Kakashi set up the kindling for a fire, he felt Iruka’s hand on his shoulder. “May I?” he gestured at the fire, and Kakashi leaned away from it to give him room. Iruka made quick hand signs for the serpent and the tiger before gently blowing a flame onto the kindling. 

Kakashi smiled behind the mask as they watched the flames catch and spread throughout the branches. Kakashi hummed in approval. “Fire release…” he said as he looked at the light dancing across the chunin’s face. “I would have figured water release,  _ Iruka Umino _ .” he teased.

A big, genuine smile passed over his face and it was immediately Kakashi’s favorite thing to see. “I have both.” he said quietly, unused to anyone praising his jutsu. As the sun ducked below the horizon, Iruka offered the first watch with Bull and Kakashi relented, pulling out his bed roll and leaning back into the grass. He relished in the warmth and thought that with the fire, the barrier, and Iruka’s steady chakra in the air, he might actually get another good sleep on a mission.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's so good to see the boys communicating, and Kakashi is finally seeing Iruka as a capable shinobi! Will they continue this teetering friendship when they return to the village? Any predictions on Iruka's past?
> 
> Please subscribe and come along for the ride! As always, your kudos and comments keep me going. I hope you enjoyed this chapter.


	8. The Youthful Wingman

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kakashi and Iruka return to the village after their mission, and Gai is determined to be the best wingman Konoha has ever seen!

Kakashi woke up to Bull’s cold nose pushing into his palm. He jolted upright to see Iruka dosing. He had been sitting up against the tree to keep watch, but apparently the exhaustion had finally gotten to him. 

Kakashi looked down at Bull with furrowed brows, but the ninken quickly put his mind at ease. “It’s okay. He just fell asleep a few minutes ago. He fought it longer than I thought he would.” he nodded to the sleeping chunin and Kakashi smiled. It was about the time he should have taken over the watch anyway, and he wanted to let Iruka sleep as much as he could before they continued on. 

He looked up into the dark navy sky, a light breeze moving through his hair. The clouds were starting to roll away and a few stars were peeking out between the gaps. Iruka’s chakra buzzed in the air, assuring him that no one had crossed the barrier. Kakashi felt comfortable enough to dismiss Bull, but the large ninken spoke before disappearing.

“He’s a good one, Boss.” he said thoughtfully. “Maybe a bit snappy, but it’d be good to have someone else in the pack to keep you in line.” Kakashi pushed down a blush. He hadn’t realized it before, but knowing he had the approval of his pack made his shoulders feel a bit lighter. And especially from Bull, who was the hardest to impress. 

Bull disappeared and Kakashi pushed a bit of chakra to his ears to listen to the forest around them. All he could pick up was Iruka’s steady breathing, and he found the sound very soothing. He wouldn’t mind listening to it during a night not on a mission, when he could relax and enjoy it. Preferable with Iruka tucked into his arms. He resigned himself to listening to his steady breaths until the sun began to rise and they could start moving again. 

__________

Their journey home was a bit slower, but the pair stayed relatively quiet. Kakashi made a few more attempts at conversation, and although Iruka wasn’t rude, most of his comments were clipped. It seemed he wasn’t up for idle chit chat, and Kakashi figured he was still weary from the traveling. 

Unfortunately, this also meant that Kakashi was alone with his thoughts, and he was having trouble focusing on his footing when there was a tight ass jogging in front of him. As an elite shinobi, he wouldn’t have much of an excuse if he were to trip over a stray tree root. 

Another night and day passed, and they stayed to light topics. Iruka was more animated when discussing his current students and Kakashi did manage to get a few more snorts out of him when describing Gai’s antics. 

In the afternoon of their third day heading back, the Konoha gates came into view. Kakashi realized that while he enjoyed the time he had spent with the teacher, he still didn’t know anything personal about him other than his affinity for fuinjutsu. Not that he could blame the chunin - Kakashi hadn’t really told him anything about himself either. He had always been better at discussing his friends rather than himself and Iruka seemed to be the same way.

“Welcome back, shinobi!” Izumo and Kotetsu said from their post, both bowing their heads respectfully to Kakashi but then beaming at Iruka. 

“When was the last time you were out of the village for five days, sensei?” Kotetsu asked as Izumo marked their return in the ledger. Iruka rubbed the back of his neck and shrugged. Kakashi could tell the betas wanted to chat, but the chunin was exhausted and he simply promised to meet up with them later before carrying on.

Kakashi followed him into the village, which was bustling at this time of day. He usually preferred to return from his missions either early in the morning or late at night so he could crash at his apartment uninterrupted. As it turns out, walking next to Iruka also meant drawing the attention of everyone in the village and their brother.

He had expected many of the young pre-genin’s would know the teacher, but Iruka seemed to know  _ everyone _ . Every stall they passed, someone would call out to greet him. Kakashi sensed that on any other day, the omega would take the time to greet each and every one of them, even if it made his trip twice as long. However at the moment, Iruka was simply offering small waves as he went by, Kakashi acting as his shadow. 

Kakashi noted that while the crowds typically parted for the infamous copy-ninja, he was now completely engulfed as he walked a half step behind Iruka. The smells and sounds were a bit overwhelming at first, but he focused on Iruka’s steady energy leading the way.

Eventually they reached the point in the road that would either take them to Hokage Tower or to Iruka’s apartment. They paused and Kakashi noticed the longing in Iruka’s eyes when he looked towards his apartment. He smiled and gently put a hand on Iruka’s shoulder.

“You should go back to your apartment and rest, sensei. You can wait to hand in the mission report until tomorrow.” he curved his eye, hoping to convince him to go home and sleep. Iruka narrowed his eyes at the alpha but didn’t pull away.

“So you are assuming I will be filling out the report, eh Captain?” he said, but Kakashi heard the teasing in his tone, rather than actual mirth. Kakashi nodded, pulling his hand away reluctantly to shrug.

“I figured you wouldn’t want to inflict my handwriting on your comrades.” he joked and it made Iruka laugh, the lines around his eyes crinkling a bit. He was clearly much more at ease now that they were back within the village. Kakashi loved seeing him like this.

Iruka nodded. “You’re right, Kakashi. I wouldn’t do that to them.” he struggled to sound serious and failed. He looked at the jounin as if he wanted to say something more, and Kakashi held his breath. Instead, Iruka simply made a short, polite bow, before heading off to his apartment. Kakahi made a quick two-finger salute, but realized Iruka was already turned away and couldn’t see him.

He called out just loud enough for the other man to hear. “It’s been a pleasure, sensei!” and Iruka waved a hand over his head, but didn’t turn around. Kakashi frowned. He had wanted to see that coy smile again, but now that he had his in with the omega, he was sure he would see it again soon.

_____________

The next morning, Kakashi somehow found himself joining Gai’s 5AM jog around the village. Although he didn’t feel the need to jog backwards like his friend. They faced each other as Gai dodged every hole and stump from memory.

“So how was your mission with the desirable Iruka-sensei?!” Gai shouted, uncaring of anyone who might be sleeping at a reasonable hour. “Were you able to woo him with your romantic prowess.” 

“Mah, I was nothing but professional.” he said, suppressing a wince as he remembered aggressively pressing Iruka into the bed. If Gai noticed his hesitation, he didn’t say anything.

“Well I am sure that getting to see you in action was enough to convince the lovely omega of your impressive abilities as a shinobi!” Gai gracefully leaped over a tree root that was jutting into the path, still not watching where he was going.

It was meant as a harmless comment, but it seemed to rub Kakashi the wrong way. “He’s more than just omega, you know. And my abilities were not actually required on this mission so it’s a moot point.” he scoffed. Gai held up his hands in a placating gesture.

“Yes, of course he is more than that!” he said, and his warm tone calmed Kakashi down. “He is the most respected teacher in Konoha. And such a fitting partner for my Eternal Rival!” Gai pumped his fist in the air and Kakashi found himself rolling his eyes. He paused, wondering if he was starting to pick up the habit from Iruka.

Kakashi shrugged as he ducked under a branch. “I actually offered him to join us for a few spars. He wants to work o…” Kakashi almost ran into a wall of green spandex. Gai had stopped suddenly, and was grinning from ear to ear. 

“My rival…” he clutched at his chest, tears threatening to spill over. “You have given me the unique opportunity to assist in fanning the flames of your love!” he reached to grip the front of Kakashi’s vest, and the alpha tensed but didn’t shove him off. He sighed and let Gai get his youthful passion out of his system.

“Of course, we shall invite Iruka-sensei to spar with us! Perhaps he is awake at this very moment!” Gai started back the way they came, and Kakashi watched in horror as Gai likely intended to wake Iruka up at such an ungodly hour.Iruka had mentioned that he wakes up early anyway, but Kakashi still figured this was not the best time. 

Kakashi caught Gai by the shoulder and pulled him back onto the path they had been going. “We just got back from a mission. Let’s give him some time to rest before he joins us.” Kakashi convinced Gai. While a bit disappointed, the promise of a future sparring session placated the emotional jounin and they continued their jog, Gai still insisting on jogging backwards and Kakashi refusing.

______________

Kakashi waited a few more days to invite Iruka to spar with him and Gai. He personally wanted the chunin all to himself, but he thought a buffer might make Iruka a bit more willing. He decided to wait outside the Hokage Tower for the end of Iruka’s mission desk shift. He watched as various shinobi entered and exited the building, fewer and fewer going in as the evening wore on. 

A few looked up when they noticed the copy-ninja in the tree, but they all ignored him as Kakashi being Kakashi. Being eccentric had its benefits, one being that people didn’t usually question your actions. 

Just as Kakashi was beginning to get bored, he heard the front door open and he saw Iruka leaving the tower. He grinned behind his mask and cloaked his chakra, shifting his weight to drop out of the tree and surprise Iruka. His smile disappeared however, when he saw Mizuki trailing along behind him. 

Instead of dropping down as he had planned, he stayed where he was, pushing a bit of chakra to his ears to listen in on their conversation. Was it a bit unethical? Maybe. Was he going to keep doing it? Absolutely. 

“Come on ‘Ruka, one drink.” Mizuki said, pulling Iruka around by his shoulder. Kakashi didn’t think Iruka would be one for nicknames, but he didn’t scold the beta. He just shook his head gently. 

“I have to finish grading the assignments the sub assigned while I was on my mission.” he explained.

Mizuki snorted. “Oh yeah, how  _ was _ your mission with the  _ infamous copy-nin? _ ” he jabbed Iruka in the arm. “Was he as much of an asshole as he seems?” Kakashi narrowed his eyes. _ Okay, rude. _

Iruka rolled his eyes and turned around to make his way towards his apartment. Mizuki didn’t try to stop him this time, but moved to walk next to him. Kakashi made a quick decision to keep masking his chakra and followed them. What was the point of all that anbu training if he didn’t get to use it? The beta had brought him into the conversation, it was his right to hear what they had to say.

He shushined to the nearest rooftop, and silently moved along next to them, his presence unknown to the two chunin. 

“Actually,” Iruka said after a few thoughtful moments. “It wasn’t too bad. No run-ins with missing-nin, no unexpected complications.” Iruka didn’t mention the alpha thugs he had bodied, but Kakashi figured he wasn’t one to brag.

“But was Hatake a jerk? I know that alphas can give you a hard time someti…” 

“No, he was professional.” Iruka interrupted the beta, waving his hand in dismissal. “And honestly his ninken are nice company.” he chuckled. Mizuki frowned but Kakashi grinned. Apparently Iruka was feeling the need to defend him to his friend, and it felt nice. 

The two (three) moved quietly through the streets. Iruka’s apartment was situated right between the academy and the tower, and soon they were outside Iruka’s building. Before they went their separate ways, Mizuki spoke up, his words sounding bitter.

“So what, now you are Team-Alpha?” his spit out and Iruka frowned, annoyed with his friend. 

“I’m not Team-Anyone,” he scoffed, taking a step up the stairs, putting him ahead above Mizuki. “Sorry I wasn’t interested in a drink tonight. I’ll see you at the academy tomorrow morning. Goodnight.” he said, trying to keep his voice even and polite. He might not be Kakashi’s biggest fan, but the copy-ninja deserved respect as a fellow Konoha shinobi. 

He didn’t wait for Mizuke’s response before turning and making his way up the stairs to his door. Kakashi made another split second decision and shushinned to Iruka’s door, unmasking his chakra and leaning against the door frame as if he had been there the whole time. Iruka looked started when he turned the corner and Kakashi looked up at him casually.

“Kakashi?” he asked, pausing a few feet away from him. “What brings you here?” 

Kakashi smiled behind his mask, tilting his head. “Well I was in the neighborhood and my ears started burning.” he said lightly. Iruka furrowed his brow, and then sighed. 

“It’s impolite to eavesdrop. You’re worse than my pre-genin.” he said, but he didn’t seem too annoyed. Kakashi moved aside to allow Iruka to undo the wards on the door. He raised an eyebrow at all the hand signs. Iruka’s wards were much more complicated than the standard, but with his work with fuinjutsu, that made sense. He finally pressed his palm above the doorknob and opened the door. He looked up at Kakashi expectantly.

“Are you waiting for me to invite you in?” he asked, stepping inside and turning around. He was standing in the doorway, but he hadn’t slammed the door in Kakashi’s face yet, so that was a plus.

“Mah, I wouldn’t want to intrude, sensei. I actually wanted to invite you to join me and Gai for some early morning training tomorrow.” he said casually as if he wasn’t completely smitten and hoping he would say yes.

Iruka raised his eyebrows. “I wasn’t sure you really meant it when you had offered before…” he trailed off considering the idea of Gai driving him into the ground early in the morning. “I’m not sure I would be up for it tomorrow with school right after, but if you are going to on the weekend, I would like to join you.”

“Saturday morning it is!” Kakashi said and he shunshinned away, leaving a gaping Iruka in his wake to stare at a swirl of leaves. He didn’t want to give the man a chance to backout, and soon he was back at the jounin barracks, already excited to see Iruka on Saturday.

______________

Friday night came, and Kakashi was thrilled that neither himself nor Gai had been called away on a mission. He had told his friend that Iruka would be joining them in the morning, and the onslaught of joy was almost too much. He made Gai promise to behave himself.

“Tomorrow is my opportunity to convince Iruka-sensei of your merits as a romantic partner!” Gai clutched his rival's vest, both of them standing in the jounin lobby near the barracks. Kakashi disentangled from his friend and gently pushed him off.

“Mah, now Gai, the goal here is to  _ not _ scare him away.” he reminded his friend. He was beginning to get concerned that Gai’s  overexuberance might hinder his progress. However there was no backing out now.

The jounin lounge was sparse on a Friday night with most shinobi out at the bars, but Kakashi was content to stay in. He and Gai sat around a low table, playing a few rounds of  Baccarat. Kakashi usually preferred games of strategy, but he also enjoyed watching Gai become flustered as luck turned against him again and again. 

Kakashi won more games than he lost, and although a few others stopped by to play a round or two, it was just the pair of them for the most part. Kakashi stayed relatively quiet while Gai provided enough commentary for the both of them. He had always been grateful for his friendship with the Blue Beast. Gai seemed to understand that sometimes Kakashi wasn’t up to add much to a conversation, but was still present. 

Kakashi was excited for the next morning, and he decided to call it an early night. “Gai, I think I need to head to bed.” as Gai reshuffled the deck. He wasn’t really tired, but he figured the earlier he could go to bed, the sooner he could see Iruka for their early morning spar. 

Gai leaped up and offered his rival one of his trademark grins. Kakashi could practically hear the sparkle. “We must provide our youthful bodies with the rest they require!” he called after Kakashi. 

Kakashi let himself into his apartment and stripped out of his uniform, heading for a quick shower. The warm water worked his muscles and he focused on slowing his breathing down, trying to get to relax. That night he found himself restless, too excited for his date to sleep. Well…was it a date? Not really, since Gai would be there. But this would be the first time Iruka was choosing to spend time with Kakashi outside of a mandated mission, and that was enough for Kakashi. For now at least.

______________

The next morning, Kakashi showed up at Iruka’s door, surprisingly punctual. He lightly rapped on the door and Iruka opened it quickly, already dressed in his uniform.

“Goodmorning, sensei. Ready to go?” Kakashi offered him an eye-smile and Iruka returned a small grin. He looked awake and ready to go, and Kakashi found himself slightly disappointed he wasn’t bedraggled or tired looking. Iruka probably looked cute when he was sleepy, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

Kakashi slipped his body over the railing and leaped onto the adjacent roof. Iruka rolled his eyes, but followed behind him easily. 

“You know, the Konoha Municipal Department works hard to keep the roads in good condition,” Iruka said to Kakashi when he caught up. He kept his voice low, conscious not to wake up any of the villagers that were likely sleeping right below their feet. “I’m sure it wouldn’t kill you to use them.”

Kakashi chuckled under his mask. “But sensei, where is the fun in that!” he pushed a bit more chakra into his feet and sped up, enjoying the wind moving through his hair. He also enjoyed the feeling of Iruka following right behind him, almost as if they were in a playful chase. He had a feeling the chunin had a bit of a competitive streak, and sure enough Iruka quickly matched his pace. 

Soon they came to Training Ground 7. It was Gai’s favorite because it was practically completely barren. Nothing to hide behind or leap off, and no place to set a trap. It was perfect for a tai-jutsu specialist.

“Iruka-sensei!” Gai shouted as they approached. He was already doing handstand push-ups, but righted himself when they reached him. “I am so excited that you have accepted my Rival’s offer to join us for a friendly morning of passionate and physical youth.” he grinning at the chunin who smiled back, looking slightly concerned. 

“Good morning Maito-san.” Iruka said and Gai shook his head aggressively.

“Sensei, please call me Gai! You are now part of my inner circle of training, and we must leave formalities at the door!” he gave Iruka a thumbs up, and the teacher smiled back. 

“In that case, you can call me Iruka.” Kakashi raised his eyebrows as Iruka blushed a bit.

“Excellent, Iruka! Now, let us start off with a light sprint to the stone faces and back before we begin!” he shouted and rushed off towards the mountain. Kakashi watched as regret flashed across the omega’s face.

“That’s  _ before _ we begin?” Iruka groaned and Kakashi chuckled. They ran after Gai, and although Kakashi would usually rush to catch up and try to surpass Gai, he also enjoyed running next to Iruka, letting the chunin set a pace which was still breakneck for most shinobi.

______________

A few hours later, the three had collapsed into the grass of the training ground. Well, Iruka collapsed and was laying on his back. Gai was doing pushups while Kakashi sat cross-legged, reading his book.

Iruka groaned as his muscles argued with him. He had been right, his stamina wasn’t what it used to be. However Kakashi had been impressed by how much he had been able to keep up with two of the most competitive jounin in the village. 

“Can I offer you a youthful shoulder massage, Iruka? Rest and Recovery are important” Gai said as he sat up, looking down at the omega. It was meant as a harmless offer, but Kakashi bit back a growl and clamped down on his alpha scent. The image of Gai rubbing into Iruka’s sore muscles lit an angry fire under him, and although Iruka couldn’t see him from where he was, Gai must have noticed the change in Kakashi’ body language. The pair stared at each other, but a loan groan from Iruka broke the tension.

“No thanks, Gai. I just need to catch my breath, and maybe just lay here for a week.” he said up to the sky, and Kakashi tried to relax his body. Gai wasn’t going to be touching Iruka...maybe he should offer instead…

“Of course, Iruka.” Gai said, more conscious of his words and his rival. “I hope this is not the last time you join me and Kakashi. He is an excellent sparring partner,” Gai started to gush. “He is a most worthy rival! His youthful passion for this village is unparalleled, and his commitment to the Will of Fire is so tangible, you can feel it in the air!” by now Gai was standing, punching his fist into the air and Kakashi felt his cheeks warm up under the mask. 

Gai often complimented everyone he knew, but Kakashi had never been able to get used to hearing his own praises. Iruka sat up and must have seen Kakashi shift awkwardly, uncomfortable with the attention. And Iruka, ever the prankster, couldn’t help but poke the bunny a bit. 

“Really, Gai? Tell me more about Kakashi,” he said innocently, and Kakashi narrowed his eyes, aware of what the chunin was doing. Iruka smiled back as Gai launched into a practical saga.

“Kakashi is the greatest shinobi of our generation.Perhaps in all the five great nations! He is…” Kakashi tried to block out the poetry as Iruka sniggered at his discomfort. Kakashi felt his ears get hotter as Gai continued. “And more than that, Kakashi is a considerate alpha, never one to use his statusu to oppress others! He would make a fine mate for an om….” Iruka raised his eyebrows as Kakashi leaped to a standing position, clasping Gai’s shoulder.

“I think that’s enough for today. What do you think, Iruka?” he asked the chunin but his gaze was still on the other jounin, begging him with his eyes to stop. Iruka laughed comfortably and stood up. Kakashi heard him try to suppress another groan as a few of his joints popped loudly.

“I agree. I think any more and you two will beat me right into the ground.” 

“As you wish, Iruka! Please tell me this isn’t the last time you will join us.” the beta said warmly, hope sparkling in his eyes. Iruka nodded and Gai punched his fist into the air once more. “Yes! In celebration, I shall sprint to the Hokage Tower, and back!” Gai sped off in the blink of an eye. Kakashi wasn’t sure if he was doing it on purpose to leave the two of them alone, or if it was purely Gai being Gai. Whatever the reason, he was grateful.

“Can I walk you home, Iruka?” he asked, rubbing the back of his neck. He frowned when he realized that he had made a similar offer before when Iruka had rejected him so aggressively. “Not that I believe you need an escort.” he tagged on, hoping not to set him off.

Iruka furrowed his brow and straightened his shoulders a bit. “You are right, I do not need an escort,” he said in a stern voice that reminded Kakashi of his academy lectures. Kakashi was about to deflate when Iruka’s tone softened a bit. “However, I would not mind your company if you are heading the same way.” he smiled and turned, strolling back towards his apartment. Kakashi's heart flipped in its chest, and he followed after him.

They walked in a comfortable silence, Iruka forcing his sore muscles to drag his body forward and Kakashi replaying every graceful move Iruka had made during sparring. Gai had more muscle mass than Kakashi, as many of his jutsus require strength whereas Kakashi’s needed speed. Iruka’s abilities seemed to be somewhere in the middle. Kakashi noted that while Iruka didn’t have brute strength, he was still very fast and his chakra control was almost perfect as he used it to defend against Gai’s attacks. Kakashi almost wished he had used the sharingan to record the spar so he could replay Iruka’s fluid movements over and over.

They had taken the streets, and by now the shops were open and Kakashi was once again surrounded by people greeting the omega. He wondered what it felt like to be so beloved instead of feared. 

“Thank you for allowing me to join you, Kakashi,” Iruka smiled and Kakashi looked up to see that they had stopped in front of Iruka’s building.

“The pleasure was all mine, sensei.” he rubbed the back of his neck again, not wanting to walk away just yet. “Any exciting plans for the rest of the weekend?” he asked casually, hoping it sounded like polite interest.

“I have a lot of grading to do, and I wanted to try a new lesson on Monday so I have to plan that.” Iruka frowned, figuring the copy-ninja would find his weekend hobbies as boring as watching paint dry.

Kakashi was already imagining the omega, curled up in a blanket with a cup of tea, pouring over children's papers. The only word Kakashi could come up with to describe his mental picture was ‘cute’. However he figured the teacher wouldn’t appreciate that sentiment and cleared his throat. 

“Well if you would like, perhaps you could join me for evening tea tomorrow. If their handwriting is as bad as mine, I’m sure you could use a respite.” he offered carefully. It would be hard to consider what he had just offered as anything other than a date, but he wanted Iruka to know it was clearly optional and up to the omega. Iruka cocked his head to the side and Kakashi wasn’t sure against his darker skin, but he thought he saw the start of a blush. 

Just as he was about to give up and turn tail, Iruka spoke. “If I finish my lesson plan in time, I suppose I could take some time for a cup of tea.” he smiled at the jounin and turned around to walk up the stairs towards his apartment. Kakashi’s heart fluttered and he found himself stuck in place staring at the spot Iruka had been a moment before, grinning behind the mask.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for everyone who has come along for the ride. You encouragement is everything. Writing Gai is one of my favorite things - he's passionate and corny and youthful and wonderful. And now he has gotten the chance to help flame the fire of passionate and youthful love! What did you think?


	9. Nightmares

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Before Kakashi and Iruka can go on their date, Kakashi is called away on a mission that would throw a wrench in his plans.

Unfortunately, Kakashi’s date would have to wait.

A few hours after leaving Iruka at his apartment, Kakashi was sprawled out in the jounin lounge, his nose buried in Icha Icha. He was just getting to a particularly saucy chapter when he felt a slightly unfamiliar chakra come to stand by the couch. He peered over the book to see Iwashi Tatami, a chunin he did not know well.

“Excuse me, Hatake-san. The Hokage...would like to see you in his office.” the beta stammered slightly as he came face-to-face with the copy-ninja. Kakashi nodded cordially as the chunin scurried out of the lounge, but inside he was groaning. The Hokage likely had a mission for him, and that would conflict with his plans.

Kakashi looked towards the door outside and considered scaling the side of the building to enter his office through the window, just to be difficult. In the end, he decided to simply take the stairs, finding Raido at his post outside the office. He nodded to Kakashi and stepped aside to let the jounin enter.

The Hokage was sitting at his desk with Shikaku standing beside him, looking tired. If Shikaku was here, this was likely a high-profile mission and Kakashi straightened out of his perpetual slouch.

“You called for me, Hokage-sama.” Kakashi said mechanically, immediately slipping into mission mode. Hiruzen nodded to Shikaku who handed Kakashi a mission scroll. He skimmed it quickly before stowing it in his vest.

“Kakashi, there has been some unrest on the southern coast of fire country, near the border of the Land of Rivers. There are rumors of a small fire civilian militia attacking small villages, attempting to expand their lands.” Kakashi nodded.

“Am I to eliminate the entire militia?” he asked cautiously. No one else was at this debrief, which likely meant he was going alone. And sure, he was the infamous copy-ninja and these were just civilians, but he was still only one man.

The Hokage shook his head. “No, I would like to reduce the number of lives lost here. The information we’ve gathered suggests that if you eliminate the two fire commanders, the militia itself will likely disband.” he told Kakashi. “If they are not stopped, we expect retaliation from The Land of Rivers and we would like to keep this from becoming a political disaster.” he dragged a hand down his face..

“Understood.” Kakashi turned to leave but stopped when Hiruzen cleared his throat.

Kakashi raised his eyebrows at the old man. “Is there something else about the mission?”

The Third Hokage narrowed his eyes a bit as he looked at the jounin. “You were much more petulant during your last mission debrief, Hatake. How did your mission with Iruka-sensei go?” he asked, seemingly casual. Kakashi kept himself from frowning, making sure his expression remained flat. He did not appreciate people poking around in his business, even the Hokage.

“I am sure you read the mission report, Hokage-sama. And since Iruka wrote it, I am confident it was exemplary.” Kakashi said, hiding the annoyance he felt.

“Ahh, yes I see.” he took a few puffs from his pipe. “Please leave as soon as you are able.” he said dismissively and Kakashi moved towards the open window, leaping out.

______________

The jounin barracks were right next to the Hokage Tower and he was always ready to leave for a mission. He was grateful he had showered after his morning spar, and Kakashi was ready in 10 minutes. As he threw his pack over his shoulder, he paused at the door of his apartment.

Iruka would be expecting him tomorrow evening, and he wasn’t sure how he was supposed to let Iruka know he would be away on a mission. Even if he had plans with his friends, they would always assume he was on a mission if he didn’t show up. Having someone to tell made him feel an unfamiliar pull in his chest.

He considered sending a raven, but he didn’t want to risk Iruka missing his message. He could send his ninken, but holding onto a summons while traveling would drain his chakra. As he made his way out of the barracks, he heard a familiar cough.

‘Hello, Hayate.” Kakashi said to the jounin, and Hayate gave him a small, polite smile.

“What can I do for you Kakashi?” the omega asked, turning his head a bit to the side.

“I was hoping you could tell Iruka-sensei that I am leaving on a mission, and won’t be back for at least a week.” he said quietly. He hadn’t been strictly told that his mission assignment was top secret, but it still wasn’t something to be broadcast. He knew Hayate was anything but a gossip.

Hayate smiled a bit bigger. “Is he expecting you for a date?” his voice took on a light, teasing tone. Usually Kakashi would be a bit snappy if someone asked him such a personal question like he had been with the Hokage. However, Hayate was among the people who knew about his infatuation with the teacher, and he found himself grinning under his mask.

“Perhaps.” Kakashi said. The other jounin agreed to pass along the message, and Kakashi sped off towards the South Gate. He figured the sooner he left, the sooner he could return to Konoha and Iruka.

_____________

When Kakashi reached the border to the Land of Rivers, he quickly discovered that the intel he had been given was incorrect. After scouting around the camp, he found that while the majority of the militia were fire civilians, the two commanders were actually missing-nin from the Land of Rivers. At least chunin level, but likely jounin.

After a few hours of observing the camp, Kakashi watched as the two left the militia for a few hours to scout their next target village. Kakashi knew that he would have to take them out before they returned or he would have to deal with the civilians. There wasn’t time to send for backup or request information from The Village Hidden in the Valleys about their missing-nin.

Without knowing their abilities, he would have to take care of them quickly and not allow for a counter strike. He trailed them with a silence only an Anbu could acquire, masking his chakra so they couldn’t sense them. As he watched them interact, he realized another mounting obstacle. The commanders were actually a mated pair.

Just as they paused their journey to catch their breath, Kakashi dove forward so fast he was practically invisible to the naked eye. The alpha male didn’t even have time to grab his kunai before Kakashi snapped his neck. Along with the disappearance of his chakra signature, Kakashi registered an anguished scream emanating from the omega female. It was almost as if Kakashi could feel her heart tear itself in half as she watched her mate fall. She started attacking Kakashi with all she had, blinded by rage.

Before the missing-nin’s body could hit the ground, the omega shot flames towards Kakashi, forcing him to leap backwards. He didn’t want to use the sharingan, but was growing more concerned as the next barrage of flames singed his pants. He made a clone to keep dodging and carefully watched his enemy. She was sticking to fire jutsu, and Kakashi hoped that was her only affinity, but if she was a jounin, it was unlikely.

Kakashi’s suspicions were confirmed when the shinobi took a deep breath and used a wind jutsu to increase the spread of her flames. Kakashi’s eyes widened at the rare wind release and allowed himself to flip up his headband to open his sharingan. His chidori would be at a disadvantage against the wind and fire, so he would have to fall back on his weakest affinity - water.

His clone continued to dodge as he hurried through a series of hand signs. _Ox, Monkey, Rabbit, Rat, Boar, Bird, Ox…._ Just as he was finishing the jutsu, his clone popped out of existence and his enemy shrieked in frustration, fire spitting from her lips. Kakashi breathed deeply as he released a water dragon on his opponent. They were not by a natural water source so it took extra chakra, but it was still effective at quenching the flames as it crashed into the other shinobi.

As his opponent was left dripping and confusing, Kakashi appeared behind her. She barely had time to register Kakashi’s presence before his hand was shoved into her back and out through her chest, the chidori screaming. As the blood sprayed back onto Kakashi’s vest and his enemies chakra quietly flickering out, he felt his own chakra dwindling.

He dragged his hand back, wiping it against his pants as the body in front of him dropped to the ground. He laid out each body to seal away in a scroll, keeping in mind that sending two of their missing-nin would earn Konoha some political points with The Land of Rivers. As he laid out the woman, the look on her face almost seemed….relieved? Kakashi shook his head. The dead didn’t feel relieved. They didn’t feel anything. He sealed them away, all the while hearing the omega’s scream replay in his head.

He tucked the scrolls away and while it decreased the physical weight, Kakashi still felt the emotional weight as he packed one the scroll next to the other.

He knew he was close to being completely chakra depleted from using the water dragon and the chidori. He should summon his ninken to watch his back so he could rest, but he would need to get far enough from the bloody clearing that the militia wouldn’t come upon him.

He started to move towards Konoha without pushing any extra chakra to his feet. After he had put enough distance between himself and the militia, he stopped and summoned his pack to keep watch while he slept.

He bit his left thumb, the hand with less enemy blood on it, and pressed it to the forest floor. The pack appeared looking a bit concerned. It had been awhile since they had all been summoned at once.

“Trouble, Boss?” Pakkun asked quickly, the rest tensing for a fight. Kakashi waved his hand, and his ninken started to notice how tired he looked.

“No immediate danger. I’m low on chakra and need to rest. Please set up a perimeter.” he grumbled out before swinging up into a tree and resting on a branch. As the ninken split up, Pakkun joined him on the branch to keep watch and let the alpha know if there was any danger.

The moment he relaxed his muscles, he felt himself drifting off. He knew his pack would keep him safe, and if he was going to make it back in one piece he would need to recover. Pakkun settled against him, and the light, warm pressure pushed Kakashi over the edge into a fitful sleep.

_Kakashi tasted Iruka’s blood on his lips as he looked down at the omega that he had claimed so violently. Kakashi frantically tried to stop the bleeding, but the more he pressed down on the bite wound, the worse it became, his fingers becoming slick. Iruka opened his mouth, but instead of the warm voice he had come to associate with the omega, Kakashi heard the scream of the missing-nin he had slain. “You left me…” Iruka gargled before drifting away._

_In his place was Obito, half his body being crushed by the rocks. It was just like that day, except now Obito had a bite mirroring Iruka’s. “Take care of Rin for me…” he whispered._

_Obito warped into Rin, and Kakashi looked down in horror as his hand plunged into her chest. She reached up to feel the blood pouring out of the bite. “It was supposed to be Obito..not you…” she cried out._

_Kakashi jerked his hand backward, but it became caught in something new. Now there were vines wrapping their way up his arms and holding him close to Tenzo. The omega smiled up at him despite the wound. “It’s okay alpha, I feel safe with you…” Tenzo whispered._

Kakashi woke with a jolt, immediately looking at the dry blood on his hands. He tried to steady his breathing. It was enemy blood, not Obito’s or Rin’s or Tenzos. Or Iruka’s. He took stock of his body, and he could feel his chakra reserves slowing starting to replenish. The slight burns he had sustained were minimal. He came down from the tree to find his pack sitting expectantly.

“Thanks everyone. I am going to have a quick snack before moving on.” he said dismissively, but instead of disappearing, they continued to look at him. “Is there an issue?” he asked as he fished a ration bar out of his pack.

“Is it true, boss?” Guruko piped up. “Do you have a new mate?” his light voice pressed as the others started wagging their tails. Kakashi choked on nothing, and the moment he heard the word mate, all he could hear was the enemy’s scream.

 _Mates become a weakness_ , an inner voice startled him. It sounded suspiciously like his father. _Having a mate would leave you vulnerable. Would leave_ them _vulnerable_.

Kakashi cleared his throat, his vest feeling overly tight all of a sudden. “No...Guruko…” he hesitated. Iruka wasn’t his mate, but his pack was obviously hoping it would happen eventually. He looked at Bull who didn’t speak, but nodded thoughtfully.

“This better not throw off your game, Boss.” Urushi scoffed in his rough voice, and although it was meant as a light tease, Kakashi’s stomach curled uncomfortably.

“Do not worry about my game, pup.” Kakashi snapped back and the pack bristled at the unexpected aggression. He furrowed his brow and quickly finished his ration bar, dismissing the pack who left with slight grumbles.

The jounin travelled the rest of the day and into the night, stopping for quick water breaks, and once at a stream so he could wash the rest of the blood from his hands. When the sun started to come up again, he popped a soldier pill so he could make it home by nightfall.

The sun had set a few hours prior when the South Gate came into view, Kakashi slipped in unnoticed, noting that the shinobi on guard duty clearly needed more training. He made his way to The Hokage Tower and saw the light still on in the Hokage's office. He wasn’t surprised, knowing that the old man had a habit of falling asleep in his office despite Biwake’s annoyance.

He tapped lightly on the glass, and the Anbu inside opened the window. As he touched down, he saw Hiruzen’s head resting on his palm as if he had just picked up his head. When he saw Kakashi, he quickly pulled himself out of sleep to give the shinobi his attention.

Kakashi frowned and pulled the two scrolls from his vest. An Anbu came forward and took the scrolls gingerly before disappearing. “Hatake, report.”

Kakashi drew in a deep breath and his speaking became a bit mechanical as it tended to do during a mission debrief. His memory recalled every moment from the mission, and he briefly thought that Iruka would be impressed if he could write reports with the same level of detail. The thought of Iruka made his heart clench, but not in the pleasant way it had before.

“Thank you, Kakashi.” the Hokage spoke only when he was finished. “I am sorry that you were sent with incomplete intel. I will speak with T&I.” he lit his pipe and took a few deep puffs. Kakashi shrugged. Mistakes happen.“You are dismissed.”

Kakashi slightly bowed and left through the window again, making his way back to his apartment. He dismantled the wards at his door and pushed in, allowing exhaustion to crawl up his spine. He stripped off his uniform, throwing his singed pants into the trash. Blood and ash could be washed away, but burn marks were forever.

He stepped into the shower before waiting for the water to warm up. He scrubbed his arms and face trying to purge the image of the hole in his enemies chest. Eventually the only remaining marks from his mission were in his mind, and he flopped unceremoniously into his bed, out within moments.

The same nightmare replayed until the morning.  
___________

Kakashi woke with his mouth feeling as dry as the Land of Wind. He reached out for the water by his bed and downed half the bottle in one go. The nightmares had made him sweat through his sheets, and he ripped them off the bed, tossing them in the hamper along with his bloodied vest.

He debated between making food for himself and grabbing something to eat at the jounin cafeteria. On one hand, he really wanted to be alone. On the other, he didn’t know if he had the energy to actually make anything for himself. In the end, the decision was made for him when he opened his fridge and remembered he had thrown away all the perishables before he left, leaving himself only with some crackers and juice.

He still didn’t have enough chakra to shushin, so he slowly made his way through the hallways of the barracks, one hand shoved in his pocket and the other holding Icha Icha. He wasn’t actually reading a word, but the book tended to ward off unwelcome conversation .

He made it to the cafeteria without having to interact with anyone and he sighed in relief. He quietly made his way through the line unscathed, but just as he got his food, he heard his name being called. He closed his eye and took a deep breath before turning around. He spotted Anko waving manically. He gave a quick two finger salute and made a run for the door. Unfortunately, the determined jounin with purple hair instantly stood in his way.

“Hey, Hatake!” she grinned suspiciously. “Won’t you join us for breakfast?” she wriggled her eyebrows. His shoulders slumped and he followed her back towards a table where Yugao and Hayate were sitting.

The mated pair politely nodded in greeting as he sat. “Back from a mission?” Hayate asked, knowing full well that he had. Kakashi grunted in affirmation and looked down at his breakfast. He had been hoping to remove his mask and take his time, but that wasn’t going to be happening.

“Check in with Umino yet?” Anko tagged on and Kakashi flinched. Instead of the warm feeling he had begun to associate with the chunin, he instead felt his hand thrusting through the omega enemy’s chest.

He shifted uncomfortably. “Er, no.” he said, taking a bite so quickly no one saw the mask move. He saw a slight frown frown play on Hayate’s lips, but it was gone in an instant.

“Well, now that you’re back, you can continue courting Iruka-sensei!” Yugao smirked goodheartedly. “Gai said you three had an eventful sparring session last week.”

Kakashi furrowed his brow further. “I didn’t realize my romantic relationships were everyone’s business.” he snapped, attempting to change the subject. The mates frowned and Anko dug her heels in.

“Excuse, Mr. Grumps. You were the one who asked us for our help, remember?” she pointed out with equal sharpness. Kakashi felt a bit guilty, knowing she was right.

“Yes...I apologize,” he said quietly. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “Things have...changed.” the moment the words left his lips, he felt his heart wrench a bit. Anko cocked her head in surprise, but Yugao and Hayate looked more disappointed than confused. Before they had a chance to ask any more questions, Kakashi stood up and moved towards the door. This time no one blocked his path.  
___________

 _Having a mate is a weakness_ , the voice kept whispering in the back of his head. Everytime he tried to image Iruka, his face was superimposed on the enemy’s body as they watched him kill their mate. The anguish in their eyes, and the way they recklessly threw themself in the path of a deadly opponent.

_If Iruka were your mate, he would be a target._

_If Iruka were your mate, his death would destroy you._

_If Iruka were your mate, your death would destroy him._

_If Iruka were your mate, you would leave him behind._

_If Iruka were you mate…._

Kakashi threw himself harder against the training dummy. He didn’t usually do tai-jutsu training on his own, but he felt compelled to break something.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First off, I'm SORRY. So many of you were excited for the the progress and fluff, and what do I give you? More angst! If you forgive me, I promise it will get better. 
> 
> Second, thank you for your encouragement, kudos, and bookmarks. I'm already planning a companion piece from Iruka POV. Is that something you guys would be interested in?
> 
> Thanks for everything! More to come soon!


	10. Don't Underestimate Your Opponent

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After his realization that he shouldn't be with Iruka, Kakashi pulls away from his friends and the sensei. But how long can that last?

The next week was miserable for Kakashi. 

He avoided Iruka and his friends, training himself into the dirt. The few times Gai tried to join him or offer a challenge, he blew him off. He knew that talking to Gai would surely remind him of what he didn’t have. What he could never have. 

Everytime he felt the urge to stop by the academy or the mission office, he forced himself to the training grounds instead. He would exhaust himself to the point where collapsing in his apartment was the only thing he was capable of. 

After a particularly grueling morning session with a training dummy, he was laying on the ground, his fists cut and bruised. He could direct some chakra to his fingers to help reduce the swelling, but he found himself appreciating the ache. It gave him something else to think about. He was so worn out that he barely noticed a familiar chakra signature approaching him. 

A head popped into view where Kakashi was staring at the clouds. “Hello, Senpai.” Tenzo said, frowning down at the alpha. Kakashi groaned, disappointed that his aversion tactics had been foiled. He squeezed his eye shut and hoped he would go away, but instead he heard Tenzo sit down in the grass beside him. They sat in silence for a few minutes until Kakashi broke tension first.

“What can I do for you, Tenzo?” he asked the sky, not looking at his former student and teammate. 

“I feel like I should be asking you that.” he said solemnly. Kakashi furrowed his brows and turned his head to see Tenzo’s intense brown eyes boring into him. There was concern in his eyes, which Kakashi had expected. However underneath the concern was something he hadn’t seen since he was a child. Pity. 

Kakashi sat up and regarded his friend. He hated being pitied, and Tenzo knew that. And yet here the younger man was, unable to hide the sympathy from his eyes.“I’m fine. I don’t need anything.” Kakashi said, a bit too forcefully. He winced, hearing the aggression in his own tone. 

Tenzo cocked his head to the side, much like Kakashi’s ninken did. If he wasn’t so miserable, he might have actually chuckled. “Is that why you’ve been avoiding all your friends, as well as Iruka-sensei?” At the mention of the chunin, Kakashi felt a twist in his stomach that he was becoming accustomed to. 

Kakashi sighed, knowing that he would have to tell Tenzo something if he wanted to be left alone. “I do not think I will continue pursuing Iruka-sensei,” he ground out between his teeth. Saying it aloud hurt him more than he had anticipated, a new pang hitting him in his gut. Tenzo did not say anything for a while, which in a way was worse than the questioning. 

Finally he spoke up and said something Kakashi wasn’t expecting. “I think you are underestimating him.” he said quietly, his hand carding through the grass gently.

“Oh?” Kakashi was surprised at the conclusion Tenzo had drawn. “Please tell me how you know exactly what I’m feeling.” he had meant it to sound sarcastic, but it came out more tired, almost pleading. Maybe he did just want Tenzo to tell him exactly how he was feeling. For a man that had been raised by Root to not feel any emotions, Tenzo was very intune with the feelings of others.

“Well,” he began. “I’m assuming you are worried that if you were to link yourself to Iruka-sensei, that it would leave him vulnerable.” Kakashi nodded slightly. He had so many targets on his back, how could he put them on someone else? Kakashi was in every Bingo Book, and next to ‘Mated Status’, each page was blank by design. But there was more to it than that, and it seemed that Tenzo realized that as well. 

“I also think you are worried about bonding with a mate, and then losing that mate, or them losing you.” Kakashi’s eyes widened, amazed that he had been able to get to the heart of his worries so quickly. But then again, Tenzo had always known him better than anyone.

Kakashi decided to stop pretending. “It’s true,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper. “It wouldn’t be fair to do something like that to someone. You know what I am. I’m a weapon of Konoha.” he frowned, looking at his hands, the small scraps blending in with old scars on his fingers. “Mates are meant to grow old together. I didn’t even think I’d live past twenty.” he shuddered, thinking of all his time on the battlefield as child, and his countless brushes with death since. 

Tenzo sighed, but it sounded more annoyed than sad. “And you think it’s fair to make that decision yourself? To not give Iruka-sensei the chance to make his own choices?” He sounded more like the teacher than a student. Tenzo straightened up from his crouch, stretching his arms over his head. “It’d be a shame if something beautiful was cut short before it had a chance to grow.” he mused almost to himself before disappearing, leaving Kakashi with only his own thoughts and a plant analogy. 

____________________

Kakashi stayed in place, lying in the grass as the clouds continued to move overhead. Eventually the sun was directly overhead and he could feel sweat collecting in his visible brow. He knew he should either keep training or get going, but he felt anchored to the spot, forced to think about Tenzo’s words. As he turned them over in his head, there was a change in the wind and suddenly his nose was filled with a familiar aroma. He frowned at the sky. Obviously this was not a good training ground for hiding.

“Excuse me, Hatake.” The chunin’s voice was stern and similar to the one he used with his students. Kakashi dragged himself to a seated position, shoulders slumped, not looking directly at the beautiful omega. “I was under the impression that you had invited me for tea. And yet, you’ve been back for a week and haven’t rescheduled.” he tutted, folding his arms across his chest.

Kakashi tried to focus on his breathing and not the feeling of his heart leaping out of his chest at the sight of the omega. “My apologies, Iruka-sensei.” Kakashi started to pick at a blade of grass that he decided was incredibly interesting.When it was apparent that he wasn’t going to say anything else, Iruka continued. 

“So did you get bored with me already? Barely a blip on the great Copy-Nin’s radar?” he scoffed and Kakashi frowned. All he wanted to do was reach out and thread his fingers through Iruka’s hair. To press his lips into his collarbone and drown in the perfect balance of lemongrass and oolong tea. 

_ You need to put a stop to this right now, _ the pessimistic voice of his father rang inside his head. “Yes…yes I have, Sensei.” he said between tight lips, his jaw clenching. He closed his eye and waited, hoping to drive the omega away with a lie.

“No, you haven’t.” Iruka said with such confidence that Kakashi snapped his eye back open in surprise. “I don’t know what is going on with your alpha mood swings, but there is no way you aren’t interested. Your hormones were practically suffocating me before you left, just like they are now.” Kakashi felt heat quickly rise to his cheeks.

“I….I thought I was...I didn’t realize…” he stuttered. He thought he had been doing well to keep his scent in check. Proud of himself even. But apparently his intentions had been clear as day to the teacher. 

“Well, you were not nearly as discrete as you intended. So since you’re not actually bored with me, take the rest of the day to get over yourself and come by my apartment at 4:30. We will go to my favorite tea shop. You’ll pay.” Iruka didn’t wait for a response before he turned around and made his way back towards the village. 

Kakashi stared in the direction for long after Iruka was out of sight. His exhaustion had been forgotten and replaced was an odd clench in his stomach. It was uncomfortable, but it wasn’t the same as the overwhelming dread he had been feeling for days. 

The omega was short-tempered and had taken total control of the conversation. Had Kakashi even used a full sentence? Usually, his inner alpha would bristle whenever someone of a lower rank tried to command him to do anything - not that it happened often. However, when Iruka spoke to him with that stern voice, he relaxed into it and accepted it. The teacher obviously wasn’t fitting into the submissive mold Kakashi had always reserved for omegas. Just like Tenzo.

_______________

Eventually he was able to organize his thoughts and stand up. He brushed the dirt off his pants and started to make his way towards the barracks. Iruka would likely prefer he not smell like sweat and mud. Then again, the chunin continued to be unpredictable, so maybe he would like that.

As he moved quickly across the rooftops, the voice inside his head continued to berate him.  _ Being with Iruka would only put a target on his back,  _ the voice hissed.  _ You really think you’ll be able to grow old with an omega? You know it is your destiny to die on the battlefield...It’s a shock it hasn’t happened yet.  _ Kakashi pushed back at the voice, choosing to listen to his inner alpha who was downright giddy about the upcoming date

When he reached his apartment, he quickly jumped into the shower. Kakashi hadn’t been in Anbu for years, but he still used the same scentless soap designed to blend into any surrounding. He couldn’t remember ever using a special scented soap or cologne, but now that he was thinking about his date, he was wishing he had some on hand. Maybe he could pick some up next time he went into the market. Perhaps Iruka would like something woodsy, or maybe a musky scent to compliment his own. Tenzo had once mentioned that Kakashi smelled like pine trees, but that had been a long time ago…

Kakashi suddenly realized he had been standing in the steamy bathroom for far too long. He aggressively finished washing his legs and rinsed quickly before stepping out. He circulated his chakra and with a fire jutsu, evaporated all the water on his skin. 

He frowned at the mirror, watching his hair flop down over the sharingan. That particular jutsu never seemed to work for drying his hair, and he quickly rubbed a towel over it and shook it as dry as he could. Hopefully vaulting across the village would air-dry it enough so he didn’t arrive looking like a wet dog. 

Kakashi came to another challenge when he stood in front of his closet. He couldn’t remember the last time he wore something other than his anbu or his jounin uniform. Even when he went to bars or to see friends, he stayed in his shinobi blues.  _ Would Iruka be wearing his uniform like he was when he came to see me, or would he change into something more casual? Or something even nicer? What type of tea house are we going to? Is there a dress code, like at the more traditional ones?  _

His mind was reeling as he rifled through his closet. Eventually he decided on a charcoal grey shirt with long sleeves that he had never worn. Anko had gotten it for him, insisting he should wear something new, but it didn’t have an attached mask, so he had never bothered to wear it. Now he found himself pulling on his uniform pants but wearing the civilian shirt. Being the paranoid man he was, he still wore his chain armor underneath. It peaked out above the buttons at the top, but he didn’t bother trying to hide it. He reached into his dresser and grabbed a separate mask he rarely wore, tying it to his headband to cover his face. 

He glanced at the clock and saw that it was 4:20.  _ When was the last time I was on time for something _ , he mused to himself. He realized it had been that morning spar with Gai and Iruka. Before that, he couldn’t remember. Perhaps the chunin would make a punctual man out of him yet. 

He shunshined to the roof of the barracks and took off towards Iruka’s apartment, a grin plastered on his face under the mask. By the time he reached his destination, the angry, pessimistic voice in this head had gone quiet.    
___________

Kakashi saw Iruka on the steps of his building, casually leaning against the railing. He was in a dark blue, long sleeved shirt with loose slacks. His headband was on, holding his ponytail tightly in place. Kakashi steadied his breathing and dropped down in front of the omega.

“Thank you for the invitation, sensei. Please lead the way.” he made a slight bow and Iruka smirked before pushing off the railing and walking toward wherever it was that they were going. 

“I’m really just holding you to your own invitation.” he teased as he walked a few steps in front of Kakashi. The alpha didn’t mind following his lead. They moved through the village, and just like when they had returned from their mission, Iruka seemed to greet everyone they passed. 

A few times Iruka paused to talk with someone, their eyes would keep flickering to Kakashi standing behind him. Iruka seemed not to notice as he carried on his conversations, not attempting to include the alpha, but also keeping it brief so they could continue. 

“Does it always take you this long to get where you are going?” Kakashi asked quietly. Iruka looked over his shoulder and chuckled. 

“Yes, it does. I don’t mind though.” he smiled. Kakashi felt the genuine kindness radiating from the man and he couldn’t blame everyone for wanting a small piece of that warmth. They were quiet for the rest of the walk and after about twenty minutes, they came to a small shop. It was bigger than a stall, but only fit three tables inside, all of them empty. A short, portly man with a grey beard and a kind smile greeted them at the door. 

“Good evening, gentlemen. Welcome to the Jasmine Dragon.” the man smiled and gestured to a low table. Though older, his movements were fluid and Kakashi got the distinct impression he was a retired shinobi. 

The pair sat down and before Kakashi could even look at the small menu, two hot cups of tea were being placed in front of them. He looked up at the shop owner quizzically. 

“It’s about time Iruka brought someone to join him.” the man said as he made his way back to the kitchen. Kakashi raised an eyebrow and Iruka just shrugged, bringing the cup to his lips. Kakashi smelled his and instantly recognized the aroma. 

“Oolong?” he asked and Iruka nodded. 

“He knows it’s my favorite.” he said between sips. The old man came back and placed four anpan on their small table. They both nodded in thanks and Kakashi reached for a bun. The bun smelled amazing, but he hesitated, trying to decide if he should pull down his mask fully to eat, or take the quick hidden bites he was used to doing with company. Iruka seemed to read his thoughts and cleared his throat.

“I’m not offended if you want to keep your face covered,” he noted, clearly keeping his eyes on the cup in front of him and not looking at Kakashi. At first it might have seemed like Iruka was shy, but it was clear to Kakashi that he was simply being considerate of his privacy. A warm feeling spread over the alpha and without a second thought, he pulled down his mask just below his mouth and left it there to eat. He was almost disappointed when Iruka did not look up at him.

They sat in comfortable silence as they ate and once the food was gone and his mask replaced, Iruka looked back up at him. “So what was happening in that bizarre jounin brain of yours that had you avoiding me? Gai said you’ve been back a week.” Iruka probed, and Kakashi tensed up.

He felt conflicted. The angry tendrils of doubt started to reemerge, but he also felt warm as he imagined Iruka seeking out Gai to ask about his return. 

“I apologize, sensei.” he said quietly. He really didn’t want to explain himself to Iruka. To do so he would have to admit he had already been fantasizing about mating and bonding with the omega and that might just be the thing to push Iruka away again. 

“Whatever it was, I hope you’ve gotten over it,” Iruka said thoughtfully, and Kakashi was grateful he seemed willing to drop the subject, at least for now. “It would have been very rude to start courting me and then disappear.” Iruka said nonchalantly.

“I hadn’t realized I was being so…” Kakashi furrowed his brow, thinking about their interactions.

“Obvious? Well you were.” Iruka chuckled, sipping more of his tea. Just as he finished it, the old man appeared with another teapot which he gingerly placed on the table before disappearing once more. “I am sorry for turning you down so...abruptly the first time.” he said more quietly as he poured himself another cup. 

A small smile played across Kakashi’s face under the mask. “You were rather harsh.” Kakashi said, and he hoped that Iruka could hear the teasing tone in his voice. He had been devastated at the time, but that didn’t matter anymore now that he was sitting across from Iruka on what could not be considered anything other than a date. “So what made you change your mind?” he asked, trying to keep the desperate curiosity from his voice.

Iruka smiled back at him and said something unexpected. “You didn’t help me.” Kakashi cocked his head to the side, puzzled. Iruka laughed a bit louder at Kakashi's obvious confusion and tried to explain. “During our mission. When those two alpha dicks tried giving me a hard time. You let me take care of them myself.” he smirked at the memory, and Kakashi’s mind was spinning.

“So….” Kakashi tried to work out his thoughts slowly. “You decided to give me another chance because...I  _ didn’t _ defend you?” he struggled to wrap his mind around the situation. 

“Exactly!” Iruka proclaimed, a bit of tea almost sloshing out of the cup. “I’m not some helpless omega looking for an alpha to protect me. I can take care of myself.” he said matter-of-factly and Kakashi felt like he was starting to understand the odd teacher. He nodded his head in acknowledgement and took a quick sip from his tea when Iruka blinked. 

“Well I am happy to...er...not help, I suppose.” Kakashi’s eye creased in a smile. “And I would be more than willing to not-help in the future.” it was a bizarre conversation, but if it kept the chunin smiling he didn’t want it to stop. 

With Iruka’s admission out of the way, they moved onto lighter topics. Iruka told Kakashi what he had missed while he was gone. They spoke about his classes and his shifts at the mission desk. He also mentioned Naruto. Apparently the young jinchuriki had been down with a slight cold for a few days and Iruka had gone to stay with him to take care of him. Kakashi glowed as he listened to Iruka go on about his relationship to Naruto.

Iruka had been mostly monologuing, not that Kakashi minded. But when he took a quick breath, Kakashi seized the opportunity to cut in. “I think it’s great that you are close with Naruto.” he said earnestly and Iruka looked surprised. “You talk about him like...like he’s just a kid.” Kakashi knew how the villagers looked at the young son of his sensei. Kakashi regretted that he himself had never been in the village enough to care for him, not that he would know how. He had also never forgiven Jiraiya for abandoning his godson.

“Because he  _ is _ just a kid!’ Iruka exclaimed passionately, although Kakashi noticed a bit of a bite in his voice. “I’ve been teaching his class at the academy. I’m hoping he can graduate in two or three years. He’s a handful, but all he needs is some guidance.” his tone warmed up as he thought about the little blond haired menace. 

Kakashi grinned back. “Just wait until he presents. If he turns out to be an alpha, he’ll be absolutely unbearable!” That got a full on guffaw from Iruka and Kakashi found it contagious. He fought back his own laugh and lost, the pair dissolving into giggles. 

“You have no idea!” Iruka said, wiping the tears that had gathered in his eyes. “I’ll love him no matter what, of course. But part of me hopes he presents as a beta.” Iruka said a bit more seriously. “He already has so much weighing on him. I’d hate to add overwhelming hormones to the list.” Iruka looked up at Kakashi, almost like he was expecting the alpha to argue. However, Kakashi simply nodded. 

“I know what you mean. When I presented, I was an absolute hellion. Beta’s always seemed so in control and even-tempered to me. I often wished I was one when I was younger...” he trailed off, thinking about a young 10 year-old anbu agent who presented too young and gave everyone around him a hard time. 

“There were times I wished I had presented as a beta too,” Iruka whispered, and Kakashi almost didn’t catch it. He waited for Iruka to continue, but it seemed the moment had passed.

Just as Kakashi finished his own cup of tea, the old man materialized next to them with a smile, collecting the cups and pot. “Thank you gentlemen. Good to see you Iruka. And the meal has already been charged to your personal account, Hatake-san.” the man winked and disappeared, leaving Kakashi frowning. _ Damn retired shinobi and their sneaky ways.  _

Iruka interrupted his internal musing. “So are you going to take me home?” he asked innocently and Kakashi felt his mouth go dry. Iruka laughed at his astonished look. “I just mean walk me home, Kakashi.” he teased and made his way out of the shop. Kakashi followed him out and this time they walked side-by-side through the streets.

Kakashi looked at the dark sky and the bars opening up. They must have been at the tea shop for hours, but it hadn’t felt that long. Talking with the omega had been so comfortable, and it did help that Iruka could manage to continue a monologue with very minimal verbal feedback. Maybe that was a teacher thing. Whatever the reason, Kakashi was more than happy to listen to the tone and lilt of Iruka’s voice as he talked about things he was passionate about.

When they reached Iruka’s apartment, the omega lightly touched Kakashi’s shoulder before pulling away. “I’ll see you soon, Kakashi.” he smiled and made his way up the stairs. The spot on his shoulder felt comfortably warm, and as he started making his way back to his own apartment, Kakashi’s heart was flying. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I updated a day early! Very excited about this chapter and what's coming soon. ATLA Easter Egg anyone?
> 
> Thank you for reading, kudos'ing, bookmarking, subscribing, and commenting. Your validation keeps me going and your support keeps me thriving.


	11. Guilty Pleasures

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kakashi can't wait do see Iruka again after their first real date at the Jasmine Dragon, so he doesn't.

On his way home from their date, Kakashi decided he didn‘t want to wait a respectable few days before seeing Iruka again. He never knew when the Hokage would send him on a mission or how long it could take. He wanted to spend as much time getting to know Iruka as he could while he was in the village. 

That is how he justified waiting outside the academy the very next day, casually perched in a tree. He was almost sure the chunin didn’t have a mission desk shift today, and therefore might be free after classes ended for the day. Kakashi almost hoped that the annoying beta would be with him so he could watch as Kakashi pulled Iruka away. Kakashi even knew which smug expression he would give Mizuki if he saw him. 

  
What Kakashi wasn’t prepared for was seeing a tiny blond pre-genin attached to Iruka’s hip as he exited the building. Iruka was smiling down at the child, so he didn’t notice Kakashi in the tree above. When the jounin dropped down in front of the pair, Iruka raised his eyebrows in mild surprise and Naruto gave a particularly undignified squawk.

After the initial surprise, Kakashi noticed Naruto shift his position slightly so that he was between the mysterious stranger and his precious teacher, his back pressed against his waist. Iruka looked fondly down at him before raising his eyes to Kakashi’s grey one.

“Good afternoon, sensei.” Kakashi gave a polite eye-smile, trying to act suave, but the child’s presence was making him uneasy. It wasn’t so much that he was the jinchuriki, but more so that it was a  _ child.  _ He hadn’t felt comfortable around children since he made chunin, and he had mad chunin at six.

“Iruka-sensei, who’s this weird guy?” Nartuo asked with no ounce of decorum, not taking his eyes off the alpha in front of him. His stance was a bit sloppy but clearly meant to be defensive. Naruto only relaxed a fraction when Iruka placed his hands on his shoulders. 

“This is my friend Kakashi,” and the alpha felt warmth flood him at the title. Eventually he wanted to be more than friends, but progress was progress. At the mention of his name, Naruto’s eyes grew wide as he looked up at the jounin.

The boy stumbled over his words, but now more out of excitement than out of the fear Kakashi was expecting. “Like the...the copy-ninja!? You’re friends with the copy-ninja?!” Naruto spun around to look up at his teacher in awe. Then suddenly he was tugging on Kakashi’s sleeve, freezing the jounin in place. “I bet you could teach me some super-cool secret jutsu!” he proclaimed while practically vibrating in place. Iruka chuckled as he attempted to pull him off. 

Iruka quickly extracted Naruto’s shockingly strong grip, but Kakashi could still feel the tension in his shoulders. No one openly reached for him so casually. Strangers and children rarely spoke to him, let alone  _ touched  _ the most dangerous weapon in Konoha. The jinchuriki didn’t seem to be concerned about that though.

“Naruto, what have I told you about invading the personal space of others?” Iruka chided, but the fondness didn’t leave his voice. Naruto hung his head a bit, but Kakashi had a suspicion that it was out of habit rather than any actual remorse. 

The presence of Minato’s son had thrown Kakashi off his plan of attack, but he took advantage of the lull in conversation to proceed. “Iruka-sensei, I was hoping to invite you to join me for an early dinner.” he asked, hoping his tone landed on smooth instead of desperate. 

Iruka smiled and it almost looked slightly impish, and Kakashi was immediately nervous about what the response might be. “Actually, Naruto and I were just about to go for ramen. You are more than welcome to join us.” he offered and his tone was polite, but it was clearly a challenge to push the alpha outside of his comfort zone. The jounin could back out, but the message was clear; Iruka and Naruto were a package deal. 

Before Kakashi could weigh the pros and cons of eating a meal with the strange, touchy child, Naruto was already grabbing his sleeve again and racing towards Ichiraku’s. Kakashi gave a concerned look over his shoulder as he was pulled away, but Iruka just laughed at him as he followed along.

As they moved through the village, Kakashi noticed the same distinct emotions on the faces of everyone they passed. They would see Naruto first, and disgust would paint their features as they not-so-subtly recoiled. Naruto simply pressed on, clearly used to the treatment and was either unbothered or well practiced in hiding it. Next their eyes would land on Kakashi, and he would see a combination of fear and confusion cross their face as the jinchuriki pulled him along. Finally they would see Iruka trailing behind and a bit of guilt would surface when the respected teacher gave them a pointed look. It was clear that he took each of their actions towards the child as a personal offense. Kakashi imagined their little party did look odd. A fox, a school teacher, and an assassin making their way through the streets on a sunny afternoon.

“Teuchi!” Naruto shouted as he leaped onto one of the stools at the stalls, finally releasing the alpha. The owner behind the counter gave the boy a warm smile and Kakashi immediately understood why this was the favorite place of Naruto and Iruka. It seemed to be one of the only places in the village where the jinchuriki was not only tolerated, but welcomed. 

Iruka took a seat and Kakashi made a move to sit next to Iruka, but Naruto pulled on his elbow to guide him into the seat on his other side. Kakashi tensed up each time the boy grabbed at him, but he made it a point to fight his instincts and not to jerk his arm away. Tossing the boy through the air would definitely not earn him any extra points with the teacher.

The man behind the counter hummed in consideration of the trio. “Let’s see...one large order of miso with extra pork for Naruto, one large shoyu for Iruka-sensei with scallions and kamaboko,” the owner smiled at his loyal customers before turning his attention to Kakashi. “And for you, sir?” he asked politely, not sure what to make of the addition to the unusual party.

Kakashi frowned behind his mask. Ramen had never been a favorite for him, but he knew he should order something. He hadn’t really thought about it on the way over, more focused on not flinging the little boy off of him on reflex. He glanced at the menu hanging behind the man’s head, and picked one of the first things he saw. “An order of tonkosu, please.” and the beta nodded, turning his back to start working on their orders.

Naruto was chatting away with Iruka about his shuriken practice, and it was almost easy to tune the small boy out. As he babbled, Kakashi looked over his head and watched Iruka instead. The omega would occasionally look back at Kakashi, but it was clear that he was giving his full undivided attention to Naruto, who was soaking up every minute of it.

Eventually, three bowls of piping hot ramen were placed in front of them and Kakashi was convinced that in that moment Naruto forgot that anything or anyone else existed. Iruka ruffled his hair before digging into his own bowl with a gusto that Kakashi found impressive. He took advantage of their distracted eating to quickly scarf down his own helping before readjusting his mask. To the untrained eye, it would have almost seemed like he inhaled it in one go. 

He pushed his bowl away gently, and Teuchi’s raised an eyebrow for a moment before taking the bowl away and replacing it with a cup of sake. “I didn’t order this,” Kakashi mumbled, about to push the cup away but the owner shook his head.

“It’s on the house for a new patron. I hope you’ll join my two favorite customers again soon,” the older man said before slipping out the side of the stall, presumably to get more ingredients. Kakashi looked down at the cup, the sake swirling slowly before stilling.

The three sat in a silence that seemed comfortable for Naruto and Iruka, but it made Kakashi antsy. He had never been comfortable around kids, and now there was one sitting between him and the target of his desires. Though suppressed, Iruka’s hormones were quietly broadcasting contentment, and Kakashi tried to focus on that instead. Naruto smelled like any pup should before presenting, benign and sweet, but Kakashi did get the distinct smell of ash underneath it.

The pair finished eating at the same time, grinning at each other. “Thanks Iruka-sensei!” Naruto jumped up from his stool and wrapped his arms around his teacher. “I have to go, but I’ll see you tomorrow in class.” he shouted and was about to take off. Iruka caught him by the neck of his aggressively orange sweatshirt and pulled him back. He nodded towards the alpha, and all at once Naruto seemed to remember that Kakashi was also there.

He turned around and with some silent encouragement from Iruka, he gave him a slight bow. “Thank you for joining us, Kakashi-san!’ the words rushed out of his mouth before he turned and darted off. Kakashi watched him run off, the villagers giving him a wide berth as he passed.

Iruka quietly pulled out his wallet and placed enough money for his and Naruto’s meal on the counter before standing up. Kakashi followed his lead, paying for his own and following Iruka away from the stall. 

They walked quietly next to each other, Kakashi not really taking note of where they were going and simply focusing on the omega next to him. “Do you make it a habit of buying your students dinner?” he asked honestly. He knew teachers did not make much, and it must be hard to feed any growing ninja, let alone a jinchuriki.

Iruka shrugged. “Honestly, Teuchi was feeding him long before I was. I just try to buy him a meal a few times a week, and make sure he has at least a few vegetables in his apartment.” he said as if it were no big deal. His tone was light, but his words suggested that Naruto needed the support and Kakashi frowned at the thought of his sensei’s son going without.

His first instinct was to offer to help Iruka support Naruto, but he bit his tongue. He had the distinct impression that Iruka was proud of the way he could provide for Naruto, and he certainly didn’t need or want an alpha swooping in. Instead, Kakashi nodded in understanding as they continued their stroll. Eventually he realized that they had made their way to Iruka’s apartment. 

Kakashi paused outside the building as Iruka started up the stairs. The chunin turned around and saw Kakashi staring up at him, looking frozen in place. “I have some lesson planning to do, but feel free to join me. I promise it will be boring.” Iruka smirked and made his way up the stairs. It was clear he was leaving the invitation open for Kakashi to decide, and the alpha took the plunge and followed him up. 

He watched Iruka disarm his complicated wards before ducking inside, leaving the door open for Kakashi to follow him. Immediately he was hit was the soothing scents of lemongrass and oolong tea. He was grateful that it wasn’t lighting a fire within him the way it had when he first scented the omega. Instead, it seemed to offer comfort and ease. This is where the omega was comfortable and safe. Kakashi took a few deep breaths, committing the scent to memory. 

Beyond the aroma, the apartment was small and humble, the gekan opening to a combined living room and kitchen. Iruka went over to the table that split the spaces and started unloading some scrolls from his bag.There were two open doors on the opposite wall, which Kakashi could see led to a bathroom and the bedroom. He hesitated when he saw Iruka’s unmade bed. Outside of his close friends, he had never been invited to someones apartment like this without the sole purpose of fucking them and leaving directly afterward. 

Iruka looked up to see him standing awkwardly in the middle of the room and offered him a teasing smile. “I’ll be working at this table. Feel free to make yourself at home, Kakashi.” he offered before sitting down and starting to work on some of the scrolls. 

When it was clear that he wasn’t going to be much of a conversationalist until he was finished, Kakashi took a seat on the couch and continued to look around. There seemed to be mediocre children’s drawings on every flat surface of the apartment, but instead of feeling cluttered, it felt cozy. The couch was a bit lumpy and could probably stand to be replaced, but it was comfortable enough. An unlit incense burner sat on top of an overflowing bookshelf next to three framed photos. 

One of the pictures was of a small tan boy with a scar across his face standing between two leaf jounin that were clearly Iruka’s parents. Another was of Iruka and Naruto, and from the angle across a counter, it looked like Teuchi had taken the photo. The third was of what looked like Iruka’s genin squad. He recognized the jounin sensei but couldn’t place the name, and beside Iruka was that annoying beta Mizuki, as well as a blond haired girl that Kakashi didn’t recognize. 

The bookcase was filled to the brim with textbooks and scrolls, but upon a bit of further inspection, Kakashi almost squealed in glee. “You read Icha Icha?!” he asked excitedly, pulling a well worn volume off the shelf. Iruka looked up from his work and blushed slightly.    
  


“Err, yes. The first one was a gift, but it kind of became a bit of a guilty pleasure…” the teacher’s blush deepened and he quickly turned his attention back to his work. Kakashi flipped through the pages and was pleased to find some of the most  _ descriptive _ scenes were dog-eared. Maybe Iruka wasn’t the upstanding, clean-cut teacher everyone had told him about. He grinned at the thought.

He eased further into the couch and flipped to the first page. He had his own copy in his vest, but something about reading Iruka’s book excited him. A few hours passed and Kakashi realized he was almost as comfortable here as he was in his own apartment, and that was almost unheard of for him. He never let his guard down this much, not even Gai’s place. 

Maybe it was the soothing scent surrounding him, or the extensive wards he could feel pulsing around the entire apartment. More likely, it was the sound of the omega’s steady breathing and the consistent and quiet scratch of a pen. It was one of the most  _ domestic _ evenings he could remember. 

Eventually Kakashi heard the sound of a scroll being rolled up and a deep sigh coming from the omega. He peeked over the book to see Iruka blinking up at him, trying to clear the ink and lessons from his brain. “Tea?” he offered and Kakashi nodded, tucking the book back onto the shelf. He watched Iruka move around his small kitchen, slightly humming to himself as he turned on the stove and opened the cabinets. 

His movements were smooth and graceful like any shinobi, but for Kakashi it felt like he was watching a dance. The confidence the omega was exuding as he moved around in his own space was something Kakashi remembered from the mission office as well as at the academy. Iruka was comfortable in his own skin, and it drew Kakashi in even further. 

As the tea finished, the alpha moved to get up from the couch, but instead Iruka left the table and handed him a mug before sitting next to him on the couch. It was long enough that they could turn and face each other without quite touching. Iruka pulled one knee up to rest his mug on, and Kakashi was steadfast in keeping both feet on the floor and not allowing himself to lean into Iruka’s personal space, as much as he wanted to.

“I promised you it would be boring,” Iruka chuckled as he sipped his tea. Kakashi shook his head, smiling behind the mask. 

“If I had known I could sit beside you and read Icha Icha, I would’ve come by ages ago.”

Iruka smirked. “You would have needed to be invited in first,” he poked fun at the copy-nin, and Kakashi felt himself further relax at the easy banter. 

“So who gave you the books?” he asked, taking a sip of his tea when Iruka closed his eyes for a moment. “Quite an interesting...gift.”

“Oh,” Iruka said, his voice tightening just a bit. “It was from a friend as a present for passing the chunin exam…” he said a bit quieter and Kakashi quirked his brow up.

“That’s some mature reading for a sixteen year-old.” he said and Iruka scowled at him. 

“A teenage shinobi and a teenage civilian are quite different. I thought if anyone knew that it would be you,” he bit back a little more aggressively than Kakashi was expecting. The jounin placed his mug on the coffee table and held his hands up.

“Of course sensei. Considering I read them when I was eleven, I can’t be one to judge.” and at that admission, Iruka gaped. Kakashi chuckled at his obvious shock and tried to explain himself. “I presented early, way too early. I was too young to...er...experience anything with someone else, so someone gave me the books as a way to learn about sex without actually having it.” he explained, remembering when Kushina had snuck him the books without Minato knowing. 

Iruka blushed and stared down at his tea, embarrassed. “I’m sorry. That is so young. I guess I was lucky to present when I was fifteen. I had a childhood for a little longer than most.” he whispered the last part quietly, almost as if he didn’t want to offend Kakashi who barely had what could be considered a childhood. 

Kakashi waved his hand dismissively. “Mah, perhaps they thought Jiriaiya’s books would turn me into a romantic.” he mused, watching Iruka take a few more sips of his tea. The omega looked up at him through impossibly long lashes, and Kakashi reached to hold his mug again to keep from reaching out and stroking Iruka’s hair. 

“And did it work?” Iruka asked innocently, but Kakashi felt like it was a bit of a loaded question. For all his independence, did Iruka want to be romanced?

Kakashi bit the inside of his mouth, choosing his words carefully. “I’m not sure. I’ve never had the opportunity to see if I was.” his comment seemed to interest the chunin. Kakashi decided to probe a bit further. “And you? Are you a romantic, sensei?” he asked in a light tone as if it were a casual question, but now he really needed to know. 

If he wasn’t ex-anbu, Kakashi might have missed the way Iruka’s hand tightened on his mug or how his mouth thinned for just a moment. The silence stretched between them and just as Kakashi was about to rescind his question, Iruka let out a breath that he had apparently been holding. “There was a time…. when I was a romantic.” he said softly, and Kakashi felt himself deflate a bit. He felt his chance with the teacher spiraling away, but before his mind could run away with itself, Iruka spoke up again. 

“Perhaps I could be again. With the right person…” he trailed off and downed the rest of his tea. He stood up quickly and moved to put their mugs in the sink. Kakashi, who had been despondent a moment ago, felt hope begin to rise in his chest again. He stood up and followed Iruka to the sink. He watched the chunin brush the hair out of his face as he rinsed and put away the few dishes that were in the sink.

“Thank you for the tea and the company, sensei.” Kakashi said earnestly. He could sense their evening coming to a close, and made a split second decision and reached for the omega’s hand. When Iruka didn’t pull away, he committed and leaned forward, pressing his masked lips against the scarred skin on the back of Iruka’s hand. Iruka’s eyes widened in surprise, but before he could respond, Kakashi made the ram sign and disappeared leaving Iruka dazed with a few leaves on his kitchen floor. 

________

  
  


For the next few days, Kakashi didn’t receive a new mission assignment and fell into a routine of waiting for Iruka outside either the academy or the mission office. They would walk to Iruka’s apartment where they would have a small dinner, usually takeout, that they would eat while Iruka worked and Kakashi read on his couch. When Iruka was finished, they would share a cup of tea.

Iruka did most of the talking, but Kakashi liked it that way. The teacher had much more interesting days to discuss when it came to his students and the characters he dealt with at the mission desk. Kakashi’s work, by definition, did not allow him to discuss his daily activities with others, but he was content to listen. 

Each night Kakashi would say goodbye with a light kiss on Iruka’s hand. He kept himself from pinning the omega against the couch, the counter, the door, the wall, or any other flat surface in the apartment. If and when their relationship got physical, he wanted Iruka to make the first move. Of course, after the first move, Kakashi was willing to make the next dozen.

Before the week was over, Kakashi was already on his way to the academy when he was summoned to the Hokage’s office for a mission. He stepped inside and bowed slightly to the old man at the desk before moving to stand next to Kurenai. Hiruzen took a puff of his pipe before setting it down and picking up the mission scroll to hand to Kakashi.

“I have a mission for you two. You need to pass through the Forest of Delusion, so Hatake will lead the team with his sharingan.  Yūhi  is for genjutsu support.” the alpha and omega nodded. 

“Be at the gate in an hour.” Kakashi said, and usually it would sound like a solid command, but with his respect for Kurenai, it came out as more of a suggestion. Kurenai nodded and left the office. Kakashi was about to leap out the open window, but Hiruzen made a grunt that suggested he should wait. 

He perched on the window, looking down at the other alpha and waiting for the Hokage to speak. “There have been some rumors about you and a certain chunin spending a lot of time together this week.” he said nonchalantly, and Kakashi narrowed his eyes at the spot in the corner he could sense an anbu watching him. Kakashi knew this was bound to happen, but still nothing had actually  _ happened.  _

“Iruka Umino is not under my command, so it should not be of any concern whether or not we develop any sort of relationship.” Kakashi said keeping his tone emotionless, glad his mask hid the way his lip was turned into a bit of a grimace.

Hiruzen frowned. “And what type of relationship consists of spending every evening in a chunin apartment, Hatake-san?” Kakashi bristled, and couldn’t help but let some of his alpha pheromones out at the lewd suggestion behind the Hokage’s subdued words. Clearly Anbu was keeping an eye on him, and they had reported back to the Hokage what they  _ thought _ was happening behind closed doors.

If it were just about him he wouldn’t care, but he didn’t like Iruka being a topic of that kind of conversation. His scent and demeanor were making that clear, and he hoped the cloaked Anbu was choking on it. “A private one,” he scoffed and didn’t wait to be dismissed. He dropped down out of the window to get ready. 

He made his way to the barracks to get his pack, brooding the whole way. Anbu had no business poking into his relationship with the omega.  _ Knowing everything literally IS their business,  _ the ex-anbu in him chided. He recognized it, but he also didn’t like the idea of anyone thinking less of Iruka beyond his upstanding reputation as Konoha’s best instructor. Perhaps when they returned, Kakashi would take Iruka out again, and Anbu could report that they were on a real date, and not just an evening bootycall. Would Iruka like that?

Before meeting Kurenai at the gate, he made a quick detour, almost subconsciously. He soon found himself inside the Yamanaka Flower shop, the light bell tinkling as he came through the door.. It was artificially humid to keep the more exotic plants alive, and Kakashi felt sweat start to bead up under his mask. A blond Yamanka stood at the counter smiling at him. “Your usual order, Hatake-san?” she asked, moving towards the funeral lilies. He put up his hand and shook his head. He knew that Iruka might wonder why he wasn’t waiting for him outside the academy later, so he decided to make other arrangements. 

He ordered a small vase of flowers to be delivered to Iruka’s apartment that evening. “Any special instructions?”

Kakashi smiled, thinking of the wards that made the apartment an iron fortress. “Yes. Whoever is delivering it should  _ not  _ touch the door or make any attempt to go inside.” He scribbled a short note to Iruka, one that didn’t convey any compromising information, and left the shop.

If Iruka wanted romance, he could do romance. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a little domestic fluff for you! But it seems Iruka still has a bit of a hair-trigger when it comes to certain topics....hmmmm.....Will Kakashi learn more about Iruka's past soon, or will Iruka keep shutting him out? Also, sorry if the title made you think this was going to be a smutty chapter. It's coming, I promise, but its a sloooooooow burn folks. We are talking embers here.
> 
> (And Hiruzen can mind his own goddamn business.)
> 
> Anyway, thanks for reading! and kudos'ing! and bookmarking! and commenting! and joining me on this ride!


	12. What's holding you back?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kakashi returns from his mission in the Forest of Delusion, and decides to go directly to see Iruka.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is NOT the end of the story. It's just the end of this part of what is going to be a series. The next part of the series will update next weekend per usual.

Kakashi prefered solo missions, but Kurenai had always been someone he didn’t mind being paired with. She was a relatively quiet companion, and he knew that when he inevitably had to make difficult decisions, she was not one to return to the village with new gossip about the infamous Coldhearted-Kakashi going on a murder spree. Rumors didn’t usually bother him, but he was only human. 

On this particular mission, the Forest of Delusion had forced Kakashi to use his sharingan more than he would have liked.They had finished their objective and were returning home, however it was always too dangerous to camp within this forest. They had needed to push through without stopping until they broke the treeline. They made camp less than a day away from Konoha so Kakashi could regain some of his chakra. He had wanted to return home as soon as possible, but Kurenai had insisted they rest. 

“If you pass out while we are on the way, I have no interest in lugging you back to the village.” she said, not unkindly. Sometimes Kakashi needed an outside party to remind him of the limits of his own body. 

Kurenai offered to keep watch and he begrudgingly agreed, leaning his head back against the tree he was slumped against. He didn’t feel like he needed to actually sleep, but his body had to keep still while his chakra reserves replenished. “I should only need a few hours.” he mumbled behind his mask. She nodded and began scanning the area for any danger. Then she made a quick set of hand signs and Kakashi could feel the air start to thrum with Kurenai’s yin chakra. 

She nodded to herself, seemingly satisfied with her work. “I’ve cast a genjutsu barrier in a 30 meter radius. Even an anbu shouldn't be able to sense that we are here.” Kakashi raised his eyebrow, always impressed with her prowess with genjutsu.

“I don’t know if that’s comforting or terrifying,” he teased and they lapsed back into silence. After two hours, Kakashi began to feel less like a shell and more like a person. He stretched, looking down at his armor. He was grateful he hadn’t had to kill any of the enemies during this mission - Kurenai’s genjutsu had disarmed them so quickly there was no bloodshed necessary. His uniform that would usually be bloodied at this point was instead mostly just covered in dirt from traveling.

“Perhaps I should go on missions with you more often. I quite like not coming home covered in blood.” he mused quietly.

She quirked an eyebrow up at him before smirking. “We aren’t home yet, Kakashi.” she said and he let his eyes slip shut. He could hear her move around the camp, feeding branches to a small fire and checking the perimeter. Kakashi hadn’t even had enough chakra to summon his pack, so she was watching alone. Luckily they were securely in fire country. 

Kakashi had appreciated the way Kurenai had pointedly  _ not _ mentioned Iruka during their mission. His potential mate seemed to be the only topic of conversation his friends had wanted to talk about (tease him with) recently and it was a refreshing change. Maybe that is why he found himself talking about the omega on his own. 

“So the Hokage is concerned about mine and Iruka-sensei’s….er…..relationship,” he muttered, just loud enough for her to hear.

He watched her stare at the flames. “Sounds familiar,” she mused and he cocked his head to the side slightly, frowning behind the mask. 

“Oh?” he prodded.

She nodded. “When Asuma began courting me, Hiruzen was particularly concerned. I think he’s just a nosy father.” she chuckled but Kakashi only felt more confused. How did that apply to him and Iruka?

“It’s not like he’s Iruka’s father, though.” he pointed out but she shook her head.

“Actually, in a way he is. Iruka spent a lot of time with the Sarutobi’s after the Kyuubi attack.” and realization dawned on Kakashi. That was when Iruka lost his parents and became one of the many war orphans in the village. Kurenai continued, “Apparently Iruka’s father worked closely with the counsel. Maybe the old man felt like he owed it to Ikkaku to keep an eye on his son.” she mused quietly and Kakashi felt himself nodding. 

If the Third Hokage had poked into Kurenai’s and Asuma’s relationship as well, maybe it really was just parental concern and not a village concern. He could understand that in a way, but he still didn’t appreciate anyone sticking their nose into his business. “Did he eventually lay off?” Kakashi asked hopefully.

Kurenai hesitated, “Eventually…” and the way she said it did not comfort Kakashi in the slightest. He huffed, biting back a near adolescent groan. It looked like not only were Naruto and Iruka a package deal, but that the omega also came with a Hokage. 

Another hour passed, and eventually Kakashi felt like he had enough strength to make the journey home.His partner used a small water release to douse the fire before tossing him a ration bar that he caught on reflex. “Eat before we go. Like I said before, I’m not interested in carrying your ass back to Konoha.” she joked and he dutifully accepted her offering. Before he knew it, they were back to leaping from branch to branch on their way to the Leaf Village. 

_______________

They continued on in comfortable silence until they could see the gates rising in the distance. It was still early evening and the village was still awake and bustling. He cringed at the thought of being surrounded by so many people in his agitated, post-mission state. Kurenai picked up on his hesitation.

“I’ll report to the Hokage. You still need your rest.” she offered and he accepted eagerly. They checked in with Izumo and Kotetsu and went their separate ways. Kakashi automatically made his way to Iruka’s apartment instead of his own, only realizing it when he was standing on the roof of the building. 

He noticed Iruka’s kitchen window open and took it as an invitation, gripping the gutter and swinging in with ease. Just as his feet touched the tiles of the kitchen, he quickly had to duck as a kunai flew through the air, embedding itself in the cabinet behind his head. He stood back up to see a very startled Iruka perched on his couch with another kunai in hand. When he recognized Kakashi, he eased back down with a groan.

“Normal people knock, Kakashi.” the teacher grumbled, replacing the kunai in its hidden place under the coffee table. Kakashi laughed and took a deep breath, his lungs filling with the comforting scent of Iruka’s home. He pulled the kunai from the cabinet before placing it on the counter, next to a vase with the flowers he had ordered from Yamanaka’s. 

“I’ve never been accused of being normal, sensei.” he gave a cheeky eye smile before moving to sit down on the couch. Iruka held him back with his foot raised, almost resting his heel on his chest.. 

“No way! You are filthy, you can’t sit here!” he complained loudly. Kakashi looked down and saw the mud he had dragged in from the window. 

He shrugged. “At least I’m not covered in blood,” he joked but then he noticed Iruka tense up. Immediately the air between them felt thicker and more awkward. It dawned on him that being covered in enemy blood wouldn’t be a typical occurrence for a village-bound chunin. He shuffled his feet, staring at the well worn carpet under his muddy boots. 

“So….an easy mission then?” the omega asked, knowing Kakashi couldn’t give him any details, even if he wanted to. Kakashi shrugged again, hoping to get rid of the tension he had unintentionally created. 

“Didn’t have to kill anyone, so that’s an unusual plus.” he tried to sound nonchalant. Despite his many ominous monikers, ‘Cold-Hearted-Kakashi’ , ‘Friend-Killer-Kakashi’, he had never enjoyed taking a life. In fact, the faces of those he killed often haunted his nightmares, whether it was someone he knew or just a passing missing-nin. The sharingan was  _ great _ for memorizing every detail of someone’s face as the light left their eyes... 

Iruka furrowed his brows thoughtfully. “I haven’t had to kill someone since I started teaching at the academy.” Kakashi saw a far-away look in Iruka’s eyes and tried to ground the chunin.

Kakashi reached out to grip the other man’s shoulder gently, and Iruka blinked. “That’s probably a good thing, sensei. I’m pretty sure you were hired to keep those kids alive.” he chuckled, and he felt some of the tension leave the air as Iruka smirked.

“Hey we haven’t had a single maiming in the three years since I started!” Iruka poked Kakashi in the chest, standing up from the couch. He moved to the kitchen and Kakashi realized he was starting a pot of tea, picking up where they left off on their evening routine. The alpha felt warmth build in his chest at the domesticity of it all.

“There’s an extra pair of sweatpants in my room on the chair if you want to wear them. I was serious that you getting my couch dirty.” Iruka said over his shoulder as he placed the kettle on the stove. Despite Iruka saying it so absentmindedly, Kakashi found himself freezing in place, staring dumbly at the omega’s back. 

Eventually he tore his eyes away to look at the bedroom door which was ajar as usual. He had never entered Iruka’s bedroom, and he had imagined that when he finally did, it wouldn’t be to put clothes  _ on _ .

He forced himself to move to the door, peaking in. There were indeed a pair of black sweatpants draped across a chair next to a small desk. Kakashi stepped in and closed the door behind him, shedding his uniform pants and pulling on Iruka’s. They were a few inches too short, and the waist was a bit big for him. He tied the drawstring tight, but they still ran low on his narrow hips. 

Kakashi glanced around and saw clothes strewn about, as well as papers and scrolls in various piles. Clearly Iruka didn’t keep his bedroom as tidy as the living room, and it made Kakashi smile to himself. He was sure the academy students would be surprised that their uptight teacher was secretly a slob. 

Kakashi made it a point to not stare at the unmade bed and slipped into the bathroom to toss his pants in the wash. He looked down at his dirty flak jacket and decided to throw it in as well, leaving him with his long sleep shirt and attached mask.

He turned the machine on and sauntered back into the living room. Iruka was back on the couch lounging with his mug of tea. Kakashi’s tea was sitting on the coffee table, his usual spot empty and waiting for him. As Kakashi approached, Iruka grinning conspiratorially. 

“You look good in my clothes, Kakashi,” he teased and Kakashi felt a bit of heat rise in his cheeks. He hoped his mask covered most of it, but the way Iruka’s grin widened, he didn’t think so. 

Kakashi decided to tease back, falling back into their comfortable banter. “Mah sensei, if you had wanted to get me out of my clothes, you could have asked sooner…” and now it was Iruka’s turn to blush. The chunin stared down into his mug as Kakashi sat down opposite him. The flush of skin crept down his neck and beneath his collar. It was such a lovely shade of red covering his dark skin. Kakashi’s thoughts immediately started to wonder if the blush went even further down…

Iruka coughed and Kakashi was pulled from his less-than-kosher thoughts. He took a deep breath and realized he had flooded the small space with alpha hormones that were letting the other shinobi know exactly where his mind was headed. “Sorry, sensei,” Kakashi adjusted his mask that was already perfect, reigning in his scent as best he could, “Being gone for a week, I...er...have to get used to your scent again…” he stumbled, grabbing his mug, just for something to do. “So anything exciting happen at the academy this week?” Kakashi asked his tea, doubtful it would answer his question. 

He heard Iruka shift uncomfortably, but clearly eager to accept the change in subject and talk about his students. “Well…” he took a sip of his tea. “Kiba got his first ninken and he’s starting bringing Akamaru to class, so that has been...eventful,” Kakashi looked up to see Iruka grimace a bit, thinking of the trouble-making boy and his new pup.

“An Inuzuka?” Kakashi asked, immediately thinking of the fanged clan. The Hatake’s and the Inuzuka’s were distantly related, and he remembered staying with Tsume Inuzuka and her family for a few months right after his father died. She had helped him make his first contract with Pakkun.

Iruka blinked, remembering that Kakashi wouldn’t know all of his students by name and clan. “Oh yes, Kiba Inuzuka.” he clarified. “His older sister Hana graduated from the academy before I started teaching, but I heard she was a bit of trouble with her ninken too.” Iruka chuckled. 

Kakashi nodded thoughtfully. “I didn’t spend much time in the academy, but I’m sure my ninken wouldn’t have been great for classroom focus,” he offered and Iruka chuckled again. “Of course I only had one at the time. I don’t think all eight could even fit in a classroom now.” he imagined the damage Bisuke and Guruko could do in a classroom, and immediately understood Iruka’s stress. He was about to say so when Iruka spoke up.

“My mother had a summons,” Iruka said so softly it almost seemed like he was talking to himself. Kakashi hummed in interest, hoping the omega would continue. “She had bats that could use echolocation to sense chakra. I became close with them.” he smiled, thinking of the fond memories. “They are honestly like puppies with wings!” In all honesty, Kakashi had never really liked bats. However the way Iruka was describing them made him want to take another look. 

“Did you make a contract with them?” Kakashi asked, but immediately regretted it when he saw Iruka’s face fall. 

He took another sip of his tea and Kakashi did the same. “No. She was going to help me when I graduated the academy but...er...they were gone before that could happen. I haven’t seen the bats since.” he said sadly, and Kakashi knew exactly what Iruka was feeling. He wanted to reach out and run away at the same time. He wanted to let Iruka know that he understood his pain, but a lifetime of being alone made him hesitate. 

“I’m sorry,” Iruka said suddenly, pulling Kakashi from his thoughts. “This isn’t how I wanted this to go at all…” he murmured and looked up, catching Kakashi’s visible eye. He blinked away the glassy look, a new expression of determination playing across his features. 

The jounin raised his brow. “And how were you hoping this would go?” he asked confused by Iruka’s flip flopping emotions. Iruka carefully put his mug on the table, and Kakashi did the same, not sure what was coming. 

They sat quietly, Kakashi watching Iruka, and Iruka watching his fingers. Then Kakashi noticed Iruka’s scent change. It wasn’t the subdued, contented scent he had gotten used to. Now it had a heat and spice behind it that was surprising, but still unmistakeable. 

Kakashi took a deep breath, allowing his eye to close so he could fully enjoy the scent of Iruka’s excitement. It wasn’t complete arousal, but it was definitely interest. The jounin didn’t flinch when he felt the couch dip as Iruka shifted his weight closer. He opened his eye to see Iruka leaning forward, just a breath away, as if he was waiting for Kakashi to make the next move. 

Kakashi wondered what he was waiting for, and then realized that there was a final barrier between them that Iruka didn’t seem comfortable removing himself. Kakashi reached up and gently tugged on the edge of the mask, watching Iruka’s breath hitch. He was about to join a very short list of people who had seen the alpha’s face. 

The removal of the mask seemed to be the invitation Iruka needed to launch himself at the jounin, practically ending up in Kakashi’s lap. His lips were still closed and the kiss was rather quick, but the heat and pressure of it made Kakashi’s head spin. 

Iruka was kneeling on the couch, his chest pressed against Kakashi’s shoulder with one hand holding the newly bared face. Kakashi leaned towards the other man, wrapping his own arms around Iruka to pull him closer. After getting over the initial warmth from Iruka’s body, Kakashi realized how much broader the omega was compared to himself. All shinobi were toned, but Kakashi was delighted to feel the bulk of defined muscles underneath the long sleeved shirt.

Kakashi moaned, the smell of lemongrass and oolong tea no longer politely contained, but instead overwhelming his senses in full force. He could taste the tea on Iruka’s lips, and slowly teased them with his tongue. Iruka groaned and opened his mouth, allowing Kakashi in. 

He knew his own scent of arousal was permeating the air, but he couldn’t bring himself to stop it. Not with the most intoxicating omega pressing his tongue against his own, dancing, not battling. They moved in and out, Iruka giving the kiss back as good as he got. 

Iruka pulled away and Kakashi was about to complain but it was only to readjust so the chunin could straddle him. Iruka pressed his lips against Kakahi’s again, running his fingers up the back of the alpha’s head and into his hair, still keeping the headband in place. Kakashi groaned, knowing that the sweatpants would not do anything to conceal his hardening length as it pressed against Iruka’s own thighs. Iruka shifted and Kakashi could feel the omega’s cock hardening as well.

Kakashi’s hands moved down Iruka’s back until they were firmly on the chunin’s backside. He waited for confirmation that it was okay, and Iruka bit his lip impatiently. He smirked against the other’s mouth as he gave Iruka’s ass a tight squeeze. The omega hummed in approval, releasing Kakashi’s lip and pulling back and baring his neck at the alpha. 

Kakashi allowed his mouth to trail down until his lips were firmly pressed against the omega’s collarbone, where his scent was the strongest. He could feel his pulse under his lips, and his alpha instinct started to surface.  _ Bite omega. Mark him as yours.  _ Instead, Kakashi nuzzled in and Iruka whined in pleasure, grinding down into Kakashi’s hips. Kakashi tightened his grip and pulled Iruka forward, forcing their lengths to brush up against each other. 

He sucked on his neck instead, leaving a bruise that Iruka would surely need his flak jacket to cover. Iruka was panting hard, and his hormones were broadcasting full fledged arousal now. Kakashi breathed deeply again to drown himself in it, and was so blissed out that he almost missed the sour tinge underneath the omega’s scent. 

He pulled back and looked into Iruka’s eyes. His pupils were dilated and his breathing was heavy. His body was very much submitting to the alpha in front of him, but Kakashi could see a hint of apprehension in his eyes. He bit back a growl and gently pulled his hands off of Iruka’s ass, moving to place them gently on his hips.

Iruka looked surprised and he groaned, tugging a bit at Kakashi’s hair before dropping his hands to his shoulders. “What are you waiting for?” he asked the older man, frustrated. He tried to lean forward to kiss him again, but Kakashi’s grip held him back.

_ Yes, WHAT are you waiting for?!  _ the voice in his head hissed and Kakashi sighed, “You are not fully into this,” he said matter of factly, trying to keep the disappointment out of his voice. If he had blinked he would have missed the way Iruka’s eyes widened a fraction, or the way his mouth tightened. 

“Excuse me, but I initiated this.” Iruka gestured at the place their bodies met, his voice sounding annoyed. “I think it’s safe to say I’m  _ into this. _ ” his brown eyes smoldered.

Kakashi shook his head and ignored his alpha screaming at him.  _ What are you doing? You have an omega willing and submitting to you IN YOUR LAP. “  _ I’m not saying you don’t want this,” he said between gritted teeth, determined to not be controlled by instincts alone. “But there is something holding you back,” he said a bit softer and Iruka’s shoulders visibly drooped, and he knew he was right. 

He lifted a hand to cup Iruka’s face, running his thumb along the edge of the scar. Iruka closed his eyes and leaned into the hand, sighing sadly, not contentedly. “How could you tell?” he asked after a long pause. He opened his eyes again, still burning but now a bit watery. 

“Your scent,” Kakashi explained. “It turned….how can I say it…there was just something told me you were uncomfortable.” he looked down at Iruka’s collarbone where he had left a dark purple mark. 

Iruka nodded and frowned. “I’m….I’m sorry,” he murmured and he tried to slip off Kakashi’s lap but Kakashi held him firmly in place. 

“Don’t be sorry,” Kakashi said, determined. “Just tell me what is holding you back. I can wait. I’m a patient man,” Kakashi grinned, trying to lighten the mood, but he watched as Iruka’s back straightened so quickly it almost looked painful. The chunin jerked away again and this time Kakashi let him go. He got up and picked up the still full mugs, headed to the kitchen. 

“I….can’t tell you,” Iruka said, busying himself with the dishes as he tended to do when he was uncomfortable. Kakashi frowned at this back and stood, forcing his erection down with a burst of chakra. It was a bit uncomfortable, but he wanted to give Iruka his full attention.

He moved to stand behind the shorter man. Kakashi wanted to reach out and hold Iruka again, to slip his arms around his middle and pull him time. “Can’t or won’t?” he asked, and Iruka closed the cabinet with a bit too much force, causing Kakashi to startle. 

“Can’t.” he bit out and turned around, moving towards the bathroom. Kakashi quietly followed along and watching Iruka move his uniform from the washer to the dryer, before brushing by Kakashi to start to pack his bag for the next day. 

“Can’t?” Kakashi asked puzzled, and Iruka fumbled and dropped one of the scrolls he was trying to hastily put in your bag. Kakashi looked at him confused. Ninjas do not fumble.

“It’s getting late, I think you should go,” Iruka suggested. Kakashi hated going against Iruka’s request in his own home, but something wasn’t sitting right. He pushed forward, resting his hand gently on Iruka’s shoulder. The omega tensed, but didn’t shrug him off, so he considered it a small victory. 

“Trust me, I get not being able to share things. It’s a part of being a shinobi. But remember, I have the highest clearance there is, so if there is anything you ever want to talk about, it can stay between us.” Kakashi said slowly, hoping to regain some of the trust they had been building. 

Usually he wasn’t a nosy person, or one to pry into someone’s secrets. He had enough of his own to respect that. But there was something in Iruka’s eyes that had made him concerned and his inner alpha flared protectively. 

Iruka bent down to grab the scroll he dropped and when he looked back up at Kakashi, his pained expression froze the alpha in his spot. 

“I really wish I could tell you….but I can’t.” Iruka said solemnly and Kakashi couldn’t help it. He felt like he was on the verge of a breakthrough and he asked one more time.

“Why can’t you tell me?” he pleaded.

“Because…” Iruka paced a few feet away and then turned back to Kakashi, the fire reignited in his eyes. However now instead of excitement they held fury. “Because of this!” Iruka opened his mouth and Kakashi actually took a step back in shock. On the back of Iruka's tongue was a black seal that Kakashi had only seen on one other person. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow! Surprises? Expectations? Disappointments? Let me know what you thought!
> 
> Again, this is NOT the end of the story. It just seemed like the natural place to stop this part of the series and move onto to the next. Thanks again to my readers and commentators and bookmarkers. I always love suggestions, especially when I have a rough outline of what will happen in a chapter and some of your predictions just fit so perfectly! You are keeping me motivated, and I hope this chapter satisfied your IruKashi craving for now.


End file.
